BIRDS  THAT  HUNT 
AND  ARE   HUNTED 


Volume  Two 

GAME  BIRDS 


Copyright,  1904,  by 
Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 

Copyright,  1898,  by 
Doubleday  &  McClure  Company 

Colored  plates  copyright,  1900,  by 
A.  W.  Mumford,  Chicago 


BIRDS  THAT  HUNT 
AND  ARE  HUNTED 

LIFE  HISTORIES  OF  ONE  HUN- 
DRED AND  SEVENTY  BIRDS 
OF  PREY,  GAME  BIRDS  AND 
WATER-FOWLS 


BY 

NELTJE    BLANCHAN 

AUTHOR  OF  "BIRD  NEIGHBORS" 

WITH  INTRODUCTION  BY 

G.  O.   SHIELDS   (COQUINA) 


WITH  MANY  PHOTOGRAPHIC  ILLUSTRATIONS 
IN    COLOR    AND    IN    BLACK    AND    WHITE 


NEW    YORK 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 
1908 


Copyright,  1904,  by 
Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 

Copyright,  1898,  by 
Doubleday  &  McClure  Company 

Colored  plates  copyright,  1900,  by 
A.  W.  Mumford,  Chicago 


L 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION  BY  G.  O.  SHIELDS vii 

PREFACE     . ix 

LIST  OF  COLORED  PLATES xi 

PART  I.  WATER  BIRDS i 

Diving  Birds 3 

The  Grebes      ...        .        .        .  8 

The  Loons 14 

Auks,  Murres,  Puffins,  etc.      .        .        .  18 

Long-winged  Swimmers       \        .        .        .  27 

Jaegers  and  Skuas    .        ...        .  32 

Gulls 35 

Terns,  or  Sea  Swallows  ....  46 

Skimmers    '    ..        ,',.     ;.       .»        .        .  59 

Tube-nosed  Swimmers  .....  63 

Shearwaters     .  ' 67 

Petrels     .        .        .        .        .        .        -  68 

Fully  Webbed  Swimmers       .        /       .        .  73 

Cormorants      .        .        .  ,    >  •,..•"  .        .  77 

Plate-billed  Swimmers    .        .        *        .        .  81 

Mergansers,  or  Fishing  Ducks       : '  '.-.       .  87 

River  and  Pond  Ducks     .        .        .        .  93 

Sea  and  Bay  Ducks          .        .        .        .114 

Geese       .        .        ...        .        .  U4 

Swans     .        .        .        .        .        .        .143 

v 


Table  of  Contents 

PAGE 

PART  II.  WADING  BIRDS 147 

Herons  and  their  Allies 149 

Ibises 153 

Wood  Ibises  and  Storks  .        .        ,        .  155 
Herons  and  Bitterns         .        .        .        .157 

Marsh  Birds    .        .,        .     -  .        ...  169 

Cranes 174 

Rails        .        .        .        ...        .  177 

Gallinules 184 

Coots •«"•'.  186 

Shore  Birds 189 

Phalaropes       .        .        .        ....  196 

Avocets  and  Stilts    ,        .    .    v        ^       .  198 

Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc 201 

Plovers    .......  237 

Surf  Birds  and  Turnstones       .        .        .  249 
Oyster-Catchers       .        .        .        .        .251 

PART  III.  GALLINACEOUS  GAME  BIRDS        ^       .  .  ; ;.        .  255 

Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc.         .        ,        .  261 

Turkeys  .        .        i        .        .        .        ,  288 

Columbine  Birds     .        .        ....'•        .        .291 

Pigeons  and  Doves  .        .        .        .        .  294 

PART  IV.  BIRDS  OF  PREY  .        .        .  •      .        ,       .        .  299 

Vultures 304 

Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc.             -  .        .  309 

Barn  Owls       .        ,  /.     .        .        .        .  335 

Horned  and  Hoot  Owls  ....  337 

INDEX        .       .       .       .' 353 


INTRODUCTION 

BIRD  life  is  disappearing  from  the  United  States  and  Canada 
at  so  alarming  a  rate  I  sometimes  feel  it  is  wrong,  at  this  day 
and  age  of  the  world,  to  encourage  the  hunting  and  shooting  of 
birds  of  any  kind.  Mr.  W.  T.  Hornaday,  the  Director  of  the  New 
York  Zoological  Society,  has  recently  collected  and  compiled 
statistics  from  more  that  thirty  states,  showing  that  the  decrease 
of  birds  within  the  past  fifteen  years  has  averaged  over  forty  per 
cent.  At  this  rate  another  twenty  years  would  witness  the  total 
extermination  of  many  birds  in  this  country.  Several  species 
have  already  become  extinct,  and  others  are  rapidly  approaching 
the  danger  line.  Conspicuous  among  these  are  the  wild  turkey 
and  the  pinnated  grouse,  two  of  the  noblest  birds  on  the  con- 
tinent. Several  species  of  water-fowl  are  also  growing  scarce. 

Not  only  are  game  birds  pursued  and  killed,  in  season  and  out 
of  season,  under  the  name  of  sport  and  for  market,  but  the  song 
birds,  plumage  birds,  water-fowl,  and  many  innocent  birds  of 
prey  are  hunted,  from  the  Everglades  to  the  Arctic  Circle,  for  the 
barbaric  purpose  of  decorating  women's  hats.  The  extent  of  this 
traffic  is  simply  appalling.  Some  of  the  plumes  of  tropical  and 
semi-tropical  birds  sell  at  as  high  a  price  as  fifteen  dollars  an  ounce. 
No  wonder  the  cupidity  of  ignorant  and  heartless  market  hunters 
is  tempted  by  such  prices  to  pursue  and  kill  the  last  one  of  these 
birds.  It  seems  incredible  that  any  woman  in  this  enlightened 
and  refined  age,  when  sentiment  against  cruelty  to  animals  is 
strong  in  human  nature,  could  be  induced  to  wear  an  ornament 
that  has  cost  the  life  of  so  beautiful  a  creature  as  an  egret,  a 
scarlet  tanager,  or  a  Baltimore  oriole.  What  beauty  can  there  be 
in  so  clumsy  a  head  decoration  as  an  owl  or  a  gull  ?  Yet  we  see 
women  whose  nature  would  revolt  at  the  thought  or  the  sight 
of  cruelty  to  a  horse  or  a  dog,  wearing  the  wings,  plumes,  and 
heads,  if  not  the  entire  carcasses  of  these  birds.  Not  only  is  the 
life  of  the  bird  sacrificed,  whose  plumage  is  to  be  thus  worn,  but 
in  thousands  of  instances  the  victim  is  the  mother  bird,  and  a 
brood  of  young  is  left  to  starve  to  death  in  consequence  of  her 
cruel  taking  off.  Is  it  not  time  to  check  this  ruthless  destruction 
of  bird  life  by  the  enactment  and  enforcement  of  proper  laws  ? 


Introduction 

A  great  crusade  against  bird  slaughter  is  sweeping  over  the 
country.  Thousands  of  progressive  educators  have  inaugurated 
courses  of  nature  study  in  the  schools,  which  include  object 
lessons  in  bird  life.  Bird  protective  associations  are  being  formed 
everywhere.  The  League  of  American  Sportsmen  is  doing  a 
noble  work  in  this  direction.  It  is  waging  a  relentless  war  on 
men  who  kill  game  birds  out  of  the  legal  season,  or  song  birds 
at  any  time.  This  organization  stands  for  the  highest  type  of 
men  who  hunt,  and  it  is  laboring  to  educate  the  other  kind  up  to 
its  standard.  The  surest  way  to  promote  this  sentiment  of  bird 
protection  is  to  induce  our  people  to  study  the  birds.  Nearly 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  who  becomes  intimately  acquainted 
with  them  learns  to  love  and  to  respect  them  for  their  incalculable 
benefits  to  mankind.  The  reading  of  such  a  book  as  this  is  a  step 
in  the  right  direction.  The  next  step  should  lead  the  reader  into 
the  fields,  the  woods,  and  by  the  waters. 

I  have  read  the  manuscript  of  this  book  carefully.  It  shows 
the  most  patient  and  industrious  research,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  no 
work  of  its  class  has  been  issued  in  modern  times  that  contains 
so  much  valuable  information,  presented  with  such  felicity  and 
charm.  The  author  avoids  technicalities,  and  writes  for  the  lay- 
man as  well  as  for  the  naturalist.  While  the  volume  caters  in  a 
great  measure  to  sportsmen,  yet  it  is  the  hope  of  the  author  and 
the  editor  that  they  may  learn  to  hunt  more  and  more  each  year 
without  guns ;  for  all  true  sportsmen  are  lovers  of  nature.  The 
time  has  come  when  the  camera  may  and  should,  to  a  great 
extent,  take  the  place  of  the  gun.  Several  enthusiasts  have 
demonstrated  that  beautiful  pictures  of  wild  birds  may  be  made 
without  taking  their  lives.  How  much  more  delight  must  a  true 
sportsman  feel  in  the  possession  of  a  photograph  of  a  beautiful 
bird  which  still  lives  than  in  the  mounted  skin  of  one  he  has 
killed  !  A  few  trophies  of  this  latter  class  are  all  right,  and  may 
be  reasonably  and  properly  sought  by  anyone ;  but  the  time  has 
passed  when  the  man  can  be  commended  who  persists  in  killing 
every  bird  he  can  find,  either  for  sport,  for  meat,  or  for  the  sake 
of  preserving  the  skins. 

The  colored  plates  in  this  book  are  true  to  nature,  and  must 
prove  of  great  educational  value.  By  their  aid  alone  any  bird 
illustrated  may  be  readily  identified. 

G.  O.  SHIELDS. 
viii 


PREFACE 

THE  point  of  view  from  which  this  book  and  "Bird  Neigh- 
bors" were  written  is  that  of  a  bird-lover  who  believes  that  per- 
sonal, friendly  acquaintance  with  the  live  birds,  as  distinguished 
from  the  technical  study  of  the  anatomy  of  dead  ones,  must  be 
general  before  the  people  will  care  enough  about  them  to  rein- 
force the  law  with  unstrained  mercy.  To  really  know  the  birds 
in  their  home  life,  how  marvelousty  clever  they  are,  and  how 
positively  dependent  agriculture  is  upon  their  ministrations,  can- 
not but  increase  our  respect  for  them  to  such  a  point  that  wilful 
injury  becomes  impossible. 

In  Audubon's  day  flocks  of  wild  pigeons,  so  dense  that  they 
darkened  the  sky,  were  a  common  sight;  whereas  now,  for  the 
lack  of  proper  legislation  in  former  years,  and  quite  as  much  be- 
cause good  laws  now  existing  are  not  enforced,  this  exquisite 
bird  is  almost  extinct,  like  the  great  auk  which  was  also  seen  by 
Audubon  in  colonies  numbering  tens  of  thousands.  Many  other 
birds  are  following  in  their  wake. 

England  and  Germany  have  excellent  laws  protecting  the 
birds  there  in  summer,  only  for  the  Italians  to  eat  during  the  win- 
ter migration.  And  it  is  equally  useless  to  have  good  game  and 
other  bird  laws  in  a  country  like  ours,  unless  they  are  reinforced 
in  every  state  by  public  sentiment  against  the  wanton  destruction 
of  bird  life  for  any  purpose  whatsoever. 

This  altruism  has  a  solid  foundation  in  economic  facts.  It  is 
estimated  that  the  farmers  of  Pennsylvania  lost  over  four  millions 
of  dollars  one  year  through  the  ravages  of  field  mice,  because  a 
wholesale  slaughtering  of  owls  had  been  ignorantly  encouraged 
by  rewards  the  year  before.  Nature  adjusts  her  balances  so  wisely 
that  we  cannot  afford  to  tamper  with  them. 

It  is  a  special  pleasure  to  acknowledge  indebtedness  to  Mr. 
G.  O.  Shields.  To  his  efforts,  as  president  of  the  League  of 
American  Sportsmen  and  as  editor  of  Recreation,  is  due  no  small 
measure  of  the  revulsion  against  ruthless  slaughter  that  has  long 

ix 


masqueraded  under  the  disguise  of  sport.  True  sportsmen, 
worthy  of  the  name,  are  to  be  reckoned  among  the  birds'  friends, 
and  are  doing  effective  work  to  help  restore  those  happy  hunting 
grounds  which,  only  a  few  generations  ago,  were  the  envy  of  the 
world. 

NELTJE  BLANCHAN. 


LIST  OF  COLORED  PLATES 

FACING  PAGE 

PASSENGER  PIGEON — Frontispiece 

PIED-BILLED  GREBE     ...        .        .        .        .        .         10 

LOON        .        . 14  r 

BRUNNICH'S  MURRE     .  ,      * 22 

HERRING  GULL  . 40 

COMMON  TERN 50^ 

BLACK  TERN      .        .        . 58 

WILSON'S  STORMY  PETREL          ..? 68 

RED-BREASTED  MERGANSER        .-; 88* 

MALLARD  DUCK         .....        .        .        .        .        .        94 

BLACK  DUCK      .        .      ., 98 

BALD-PATE  DUCK       .  .  . ,   .  ~  -£  • 100 

GREEN-WINGED  TEAL.        . 104 

PIN-TAIL  DUCK  .       . .    '\. no 

WOOD  DUCK     .     •   <        . 112 

CANVASBACK  DUCK     . 116 

GOLDEN-EYE  DUCK     .        .        » 122 

CANADA  GOOSE         .        , 138 

LEAST  BITTERN         .      Jv'    > 158 

GREAT  BLUE  HERON  .        .    ' 162 

BLACK-CROWNED  NIGHT  HERON 168 

SORA  RAIL i8oy 

PURPLE  GALLINULE     .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .  184 

COOT  OR  MUD  HEN ,        ,        .  188 

xi 


List  of  Colored  Plates 

FACING  PAGE 

AVOCET 198 

WOODCOCK 202 

WILSON'S  OR  JACK  SNIPE 206 

PECTORAL  SANDPIPER  OR  GRASS  SNIPE        .        .        .        .212 
LEAST  SANDPIPER       .        .        .        .        ,        .        .        .216 

YELLOWLEGS     . 224 

BARTRAMIAN  SANDPIPER  OR  UPLAND  PLOVER       .        .        .  230*- 

GOLDEN  PLOVER        .        .        .        . .  '    ••        .        .        .  240 

SEMIPALMATED  OR  RING  PLOVER         .        .    '    .        .        .  244 

BOB  WHITE ;        .        .  260 

DUSKY  OR  BLUE  GROUSE   .......  268 

RUFFED  GROUSE        .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .  272 

PRAIRIE  HEN 278 

PRAIRIE  SHARP-TAILED  GROUSE 282 

WILD  TURKEY 288 

TURKEY  VULTURE .  304 

MARSH  HAWK 312 

RED-SHOULDERED  HAWK     .        .        .        .        .        .        .  320 

SPARROW  HAWK 330 

OSPREY 334 

SAW  WHET  OWL 342 

SCREECH  OWL 344 

GREAT  HORNED  OWL 346 

SNOWY  OWL     .        .        .        .        »       .....  350 


jcii 


LIST  OF   HALF-TONE   PLATES 

FACING   PAGE 

FLYING  SKIMMERS .30 

CORMORANTS      ...        .        .        .        .        .        ,78 

A  "RicK"  OF  BLACKHEADS .118 

A  FLOCK  OF  WHITE  IBIS 152 

WOODCOCK  HIDING 192 

SHOOTING  RED-BREASTED  SNIPE  ON  THE  SOUTHERN  COAST  .       200 
BABY  MOUNTAIN  PLOVER  "  LYING  Low"    ....       236 

NEST  OF  MOUNTAIN  PLOVER 246^ 

GOOD  QUAIL  COUNTRY 264 

DUSKY  GROUSE  ON  NEST    .        .        .        .        .        .        .      266 

CANADA  GROUSE  ABOVE  THE  Fox's  REACH         .        .        .      270 
YOUNG  RUFFED  GROUSE  DURING  RAIN-STORM — IDAHO  .        .      276 

THE  DOVE'S  BADLY  REGULATED  NURSERY 296 

TURKEY  BUZZARD  SAILING  ABOVE  FLORIDA  PALMS        .        .       306 

OSPREY'S  HOME. 332 

BARRED  OWL .      340 


PART  1 
WATER  BIRDS 


TO  A  WATERFOWL 

Whither,  'midst  falling  dew, 
While  glow  the  heavens  with  the  last  steps  of  day, 
Far,  through  their  rosy  depths,  dost  thou  pursue 

Thy  solitary  way  ? 

Vainly  the  fowler's  eye 

Might  mark  thy  distant  flight  to  do  thee  wrong, 
As,  darkly  seen  against  the  crimson  sky, 

Thy  figure  floats  along. 

Seek'st  thou  the  plashy  brink 
Of  weedy  lake,  or  marge  of  river  wide, 
Or  where  the  rocking  billows  rise  and  sink 

On  the  chafed  ocean  side  ? 

There  is  a  Power  whose  care 
Teaches  thy  way  along  that  pathless  coast, 
The  desert  and  illimitable  air, 

Lone  wandering,  but  not  lost. 

All  day  thy  wings  have  fann'd, 
At  that  far  height,  the  cold,  thin  atmosphere, 
Yet  stoop  not,  weary,  to  the  welcome  land, 

Though  the  dark  night  is  near. 

And  soon  that  toil  shall  end ; 
Soon  shalt  thou  find  a  summer  home  and  rest, 
And  scream  among  thy  fellows;  reeds  shall  bend 

Soon  o'er  thy  sheltered  nest. 

Thou'rt  gone,  the  abyss  of  heaven 
Hath  swallowed  up  thy  form ;  yet,  on  my  heart, 
Deeply  hath  sunk  the  lesson  thou  hast  given, 

And  shall  not  soon  depart. 

He  who,  from  zone  to  zone, 

Guides  through  the  boundless  sky  thy  certain  flight, 
In  the  long  way  that  I  must  tread  alone, 

Will  lead  my  steps  aright. 

WILLIAM  CULLEN  BRYANT. 


DIVING  BIRDS 


Grebes 

Loons 

Auks 

Murres 

Puffins- 


DIVING  BIRDS 

GREBES,  LOONS,  AUKS,  MURRES,  PUFFINS 
(Order  Pygopodes) 

The  birds  of  this  order,  whose  Latin  name  refers  to  their  sit- 
ting posture  when  on  land,  represent  the  highest  development  in 
the  art  of  swimming  and  diving,  being  the  nearest  lineal  de- 
scendants of  the  reptiles,  the  ancestors  of  all  birds,  evolutionists 
tell  us.  The  American  Ornithologists'  Union  has  classified  these 
divers  into  three  distinct  families. 


Grebes 

(Family  Podicipidce) 

Grebes,  although  similar  to  the  loons  in  general  structure  and 
economy,  have  peculiarly  lobed  and  flattened-out  toes  connected 
by  webs  that  are  their  chief  characteristic.  In. the  breeding  sea- 
son several  species  wear  ornamental  head-dresses,  colored  crests 
or  ruffs  that  disappear  in  the  winter  months.  Plumage,  which  is 
thick,  compact,  and  waterproof,  has  a  smooth,  satiny  texture,  es- 
pecially on  the  under  parts.  Wings,  though  short,  are  powerful, 
and  enable  the  grebes  to  migrate  long  distances;  but  they  are  not 
used  in  swimming  under  water,  as  is  often  asserted.  The  mar- 
velous rapidity  with  which  grebes  dive  and  swim  must  be  credited 
to  the  feet  alone.  No  birds  are  more  thoroughly  at  home  in  the 
water  and  more  helpless  on  land  than  they.  By  keeping  only  the 
nostrils  above  the  surface  they  are  able  to  remain  under  water  a 
surprising  length  of  time,  which  trick,  with  many  other  clever 
natatorial  feats,  have  earned  for  them  such  titles  as  "  Hell  Diver," 
"Water  Witch,"  and  "Spirit  Duck."  On  shore  the  birds  rest  up- 
right, or  nearly  so,  owing  to  the  position  of  their  legs,  which  are 

S 


Diving  Birds 

set  far  back  near  the  rudimentary  tail  that  serves  as  a  prop  to  help 
support  the  top-heavy,  awkward  body. 

Holboell's  Grebe 

Horned  Grebe 

Pied-billed  Grebe  or  Dabchick 


Loons 

(Family  Urinatoridce) 

Loons,  while  as  famous  divers  and  swimmers  as  the  grebes, 
are  not  quite  so  helpless  on  land,  for  they  use  both  bill  and  wings 
to  assist  them  over  the  ground  during  the  nesting  season,  almost 
the  only  time  they  visit  it.  They  dive  literally  like  a  flash,  the  shot 
from  a  rifle  reaching  the  spot  sometimes  a  second  after  the  loon  has 
disappeared  into  the  depths  of  the  lake,  where  it  seems  to  sink  like 
a  mass  of  lead.  It  can  swim  several  fathoms  under  water;  also, 
just  below  the  surface  with  only  its  nostrils  exposed,  and  pro- 
gressing by  the  help  of  the  feet  alone.  The  sexes  are  alike. 
They  are  large,  heavy  birds,  broad  and  flat  of  body,  with  dark 
backs  spotted  with  white,  and  light  under  parts.  Owing  to  the 
position  of  their  legs  at  the  back  of  their  bodies,  the  loons  stand  in 
an  upright  position  when  on  land.  The  voice  is  extremely  loud, 
harsh,  and  penetrating. 

Common  Loon 

Black-throated  Loon 

Red-throated  Loon 

Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

(Family  Alcidce) 

Unlike  either  the  grebes  or  the  loons,  these  diving  birds  are 
strictly  maritime,  passing  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  upon  the 
open  sea  and  visiting  the  coast  chiefly  to  nest.  Enormous  colonies 
of  them  appropriate  long  stretches  of  rocky  cliffs  at  the  far  north 
at  the  breeding  season,  and  return  to  the  same  spot  generation 
after  generation.  In  spite  of  their  short  wings,  which  are  mere 
flippers,  several  species  fly  surprisingly  well,  although  the  great 
auk  owed  its  extinction  chiefly  to  a  lack  of  wing-power.  Under 
water  the  birds  of  this  family  do  use  their  wings  to  assist  in  the 

6 


Diving  Birds 

pursuit  offish  and  other  sea-food,  which  grebes  and  loons  do  not, 
many  ornithologists  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  On  land 
the  bird  moves  with  a  shuffling  motion,  laboriously  and  with  the 
underparts  often  dragging  over  the  ground.  Agreeing  in  general 
aspects,  the  birds  of  this  family  differ  greatly  in  the  form  of  the 
bill  in  almost  every  species.  This  feature  often  takes  on  odd 
shapes  during  the  nesting  season,  soft  parts  growing  out  of  the 
original  bill,  then  hardening  into  a  horny  substance,  showing 
numerous  ridges  and  furrows,  and  sometimes  becoming  brilliantly 
colored,  only  to  fade  away  or  drop  off  bit  by  bit  as  winter  ap- 
proaches. 

Puffin  or  Sea  Parrot 

Black  Guillemot 

Briinnich's  Murre 

Common  Murre 

Calif ornian  Murre 

Razor-billed  Auk 

Dovekie  or  Sea  Dove 


THE  GREBES,  OR  LOBE-FOOTED  DIVERS 

(Family  Podicipidce) 

Holboell's  Grebe 

(Colymbus  holbcellii) 

Called  also:  RED-NECKED  GREBE 

Length — About  19  inches.     Largest  of  the  common  grebes. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  dusky;  top  of  head, 
small  crest,  and  nape  of  neck  glossy  black;  throat  and  cheeks 
ashy;  neck  rich  chestnut  red,  changing  gradually  over  the 
smooth,  satiny  breast  to  silvery  white  or  gray  dappled  under 
parts;  sides  also  show  chestnut  tinge.  In  winter:  Crests 
scarcely  perceptible;  upper  parts  blackish  brown;  ashy  tint 
of  cheeks  and  throat  replaced  by  pure  white;  under  parts 
ashy,  the  mottling  less  conspicuous  than  in  summer.  Red 
of  neck  replaced  by  variable  shades  of  reddish  brown,  from 
quite  dark  to  nearly  white.  Elongated  toes  furnished  with 
broad  lobes  of  skin. 

ng — Upper  parts  blackish;  neck  and  sides  grayish;  throat  and 
under  parts  silvery  white.     Head  marked  with  stripes. 

Range—  Interior  of  North  America  from  Great  Slave  Lake  to  South 
Carolina  and  Nebraska.  Breeds  from  Minnesota  northward, 
and  migrates  southward  in  winter. 

Season — Irregular  migrant  and  winter  visitor. 

The  American,  red-necked  grebe,  a  larger  variety  of  the 
European  species,  keeps  so  closely  within  the  lines  of  family 
traditions  that  a  description  of  it  might  very  well  serve  as  a  com- 
posite portrait  of  its  clan.  Six  members  of  this  cosmopolitan 
family,  numbering  in  all  about  thirty  species,  are  found  in  North 
America ;  the  others  are  distributed  over  the  lakes  and  rivers  of 
all  parts  of  the  world  that  are  neither  excessively  hot  nor  cold. 

On  the  border  of  some  reedy  pond  or  sluggish  stream,  in  a 
floating  mass  of  water-soaked,  decaying  vegetation  that  serves  as 
a  nest,  the  red-necked  grebe  emerges  from  its  dull  white  egg  and 


Grebes 

instantly  takes  to  water.  Cradled  on  the  water,  nourished  by 
the  wild  grain,  vegetable  matter,  small  fish,  tadpoles,  and  insects 
the  water  supplies,  sleeping  while  afloat,  diving  to  pursue  fish 
and  escape  danger,  spending,  in  fact,  its  entire  time  in  or  about 
the  water,  the  grebe  appears  to  be  more  truly  a  water-fowl  than 
any  of  our  birds.  On  land,  where  it  almost  never  ventures,  it  is 
ungainly  and  uncomfortable;  in  the  water  it  is  marvelously 
graceful  and  expert  at  swimming  and  diving;  quick  as  a  flash  to 
drop  out  of  sight,  like  a  mass  of  lead,  when  danger  threatens,  and 
clever  enough  to  remain  under  water  while  striking  out  for  a  safe 
harbor,  with  only  its  nostrils  exposed  above  the  surface.  Ordi- 
narily it  makes  a  leap  forward  and  a  plunge  head  downward  with 
its  body  in  the  air  for  its  deep  dives.  The  oily  character  of  its 
plumage  makes  it  impervious  to  moisture.  Swimming  is  an  art 
all  grebes  acquire  the  day  they  are  hatched,  but  their  more  remark- 
able diving  feats  are  mastered  gradually.  Far  up  north,  where 
the  nesting  is  done,  one  may  see  a  mother  bird  floating  about 
among  the  sedges  with  from  two  to  five  fledglings  on  her  back, 
where  they  rest  from  their  first  natatorial  efforts.  By  a  twist  of 
her  neck  she  is  able  to  thrust  food  down  their  gaping  beaks  with- 
out losing  her  balance  or  theirs.  The  male  bird  keeps  within 
call,  for  grebes  are  devoted  lovers  and  parents. 

It  is  only  in  winter  that  we  may  meet  with  these  birds  in  the 
United  States,  where  their  habits  undergo  slight  changes.  Here 
they  are  quite  as  apt  to  be  seen  near  the  sea  picking  up  small  fish 
and  mollusks  in  the  estuaries,  as  in  the  inland  ponds  and  streams. 
During  the  migrations  they  are  seen  to  fly  rapidly,  in  spite  of  their 
short  wings  and  heavy  bodies,  and  with  their  heads  and  feet 
stretched  so  far  apart  that  a  grebe  resembles  nothing  more  than  a 
flying  projectile. 

Horned  Grebe 

(Colymbus  auritus) 

Called  also:  DUSKY  GREBE;  HELL   DIVER;  SPIRIT  DUCK; 
WATER  WITCH;  DIPPER 

Length — 14  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Prominent  yellowish  brown  crests 
resembling  horns;  cheeks  chestnut;  rest  of  head  with  puffy 
black  feathers ;  back  and  wings  blackish  brown  with  a  few 

9 


Grebes 

whitish  feathers  in  wings ;  front  of  neck,  upper  breast,  and 
sides  chestnut;  lower  breast  and  underneath,  white.  In 
winter:  Lacking  feathered  head-dress;  upper  parts  grayish 
black;  under  parts  silvery  white,  sometimes  washed  with 
gray  on  the  throat  and  breast.  Elongated  toes  are  furnished 
with  broad  lobes  of  skin. 

Young — Like  adults  in  winter  plumage,  but  with  heads  distinctly 
striped. 

Range—  From  Northern  United  States  northward  to  fur  countries 
in  breeding  season ;  migrating  in  winter  to  Gulf  States. 

Season — Plentiful  during  migrations  in  spring  and  autumn.  Win- 
ter resident. 

The  ludicrous-looking  head-dress  worn  by  this  grebe  in  the 
nesting  season  at  the  far  north  has  quite  disappeared  by  the  time 
we  see  it  in  the  United  States;  and  so  the  bird  that  only  a  few 
months  before  was  conspicuously  different  from  any  other,  is  often 
confounded  with  the  pied-billed  grebe,  which  accounts  for  the 
similarity  of  their  popular  names.  As  the  bird  flies  it  is  some- 
times also  mistaken  for  a  duck;  but  a  grebe  ma^  Iways  be  dis- 
tinguished by  its  habit  of  thrusting  its  head  and  feet  to  the  farthest 
opposite  extremes  when  in  the  air.  No  birds  are  more  expert  in 
water  than  these.  When  alarmed  they  sink  suddenly  like  lead,  and 
from  the  depth  to  which  they  appear  to  go  is  derived  at  least  one  of 
their  many  suggestive  names.  Or,  they  may  leap  forward  and 
plunge  downward;  but  in  any  case  they  protect  themselves  by 
diving  rather  than  by  flight,  and  the  maddening  cleverness  of 
their  disappearance,  which  can  be  indefinitely  prolonged  owing 
to  their  habit  of  swimming  with  only  the  nostrils  exposed  above 
the  surface,  makes  it  simply  impossible  to  locate  them  again  on 
the  lake. 

On  land,  however,  the  grebes  are  all  but  helpless.  Standing 
erect,  and  keeping  their  balance  by  the  help  of  a  rudimentary  tail, 
they  look  almost  as  uncomfortable  as  fish  out  of  water,  which  the 
evolutionists  would  have  us  believe  the  group  of  diving  birds 
very  nearly  are.  When  the  young  ones  are  taken  from  a  nest 
and  placed  on  land  they  move  with  the  help  of  their  wings  as  if 
crawling  on  "all  fours,"  very  much  as  a  reptile  might;  and  the 
eggs  from  which  they  have  just  emerged  are  ellipsoidal — i.  e., 
elongated  and  with  both  ends  pointed  alike,  another  reptilian 
characteristic,  it  is  thought.  But  oology  is  far  from  an  exact 
science,  As  young  alligators,  for  example,  crawl  on  their 

10 


PIED-BILLED  GREBE. 


Grebes 

mother's  back  to  rest,  so  the  young  grebes  may  often  be  seen. 
With  an  underthrust  from  the  mother's  wing,  which  answers 
every  purpose  of  a  spring-board,  the  fledglings  are  precipitated 
into  the  water,  and  so  acquire  very  early  in  life  the  art  of  diving, 
which  in  this  family  reaches  its  most  perfect  development.  For 
a  while,  however,  the  young  try  to  escape  danger  by  hiding  in 
the  rushes  of  the  lake,  stream,  or  salt-water  inlet,  rather  than  by 
diving. 

Grebes  are  not  maritime  birds.  Their  preference  is  for  slow- 
moving  waters,  especially  at  the  nesting  season,  since  their  nests 
are  floating  ones,  and  their  food  consists  of  small  fish,  mollusks, 
newts,  and  grain,  such  as  the  motionless  inland  waters  abundantly 
afford.  In  winter,  when  we  see  the  birds  near  our  coasts,  they 
usually  feed  on  small  fish  alone.  Unhappily  the  plumage  of  this 
and  other  grebes  is  in  demand  by  milliners  and  furriers,  to  supply 
imaginary  wants  of  unthinking  women. 


Pied-billed  Grebe 

(Podilymbus  podiceps) 

Called  also:  DABCHICK;  DIEDAPPER;  LITTLE  GREBE;  HELL- 
DIVER;  WATER-WITCH;  CAROLINA  GREBE;  DIPPER; 
DIPCHICK 

Length — 14  inches.     Smallest  of  the  grebes. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  dusky,  grayish  brown; 
wings  varied  with  ashy  and  white;  throat  black;  upper 
breast,  sides  of  throat,  and  sides  of  body  yellowish  brown, 
irregularly  and  indistinctly  mottled  or  barred  with  blackish 
and  washed  with  yellowish  brown ;  lower  breast  and  under- 
neath glossy  white.  A  few  bristling  feathers  on  head,  but  no 
horns.  Bill  spotted  with  dusky  and  blue  (pied-billed)  and 
crossed  with  a  black  band.  Toes  elongated  and  with  broad 
lobes  of  skin.  In  winter:  Similar  to  summer  plumage,  ex- 
cept that  throat  is  white  and  the  black  band  on  bill  is 
lacking. 

Young — Like  adults  in  winter.  Heads  beautifully  striped  with 
black,  white,  and  yellowish  brown. 

Range — British  provinces  and  United  States  and  southward  to 
Brazil,  Argentine  Republic,  including  the  West  Indies  and 
Permuda,  breeding  almost  throughout  its  range. 


Grebes 

Season— Common  migrant  in  spring  and  fall.     Winters  from  New 
Jersey  and  southern  Illinois  southward. 

The  most  abundant  species  of  the  family  in  the  eastern  United 
States,  particularly  near  the  Atlantic,  the  pied-billed  grebes  are 
far  from  being  maritime  birds  notwithstanding.  Salt  water  that 
finds  its  way  into  the  fresh-water  lagoons  of  the  Gulf  States,  or 
the  estuaries  of  our  northern  rivers,  is  as  briny  as  they  care  to 
taste;  and  although  so  commonly  met  with  near  the  sea,  they  are 
still  more  common  in  the  rivers,  lakes,  and  ponds  inland,  where 
tall  reeds  and  sedges  line  the  shores  and  form  their  ideal  hunting 
and  nesting  grounds.  The  grebes  and  loons  are  not  edible,  nor 
are  they  classed  as  game  birds  by  true  sportsmen ;  nevertheless 
this  bird  is  often  hunted,  although  the  sportsman  finds  it  a  wary 
victim,  for  there  is  no  bird  in  the  world  more  difficult  to  shoot 
than  a  "water-witch."  One  instant  it  will  be  swimming 
around  the  lake  apparently  unconcerned  about  the  intruder; 
the  next  instant,  and  before  aim  can  be  taken,  it  will  have 
dropped  to  unknown  depths,  but  presumably  to  the  infernal  re- 
gions, the  sportsman  thinks,  as  he  rests  meditatively  upon  his 
gun,  waiting  for  the  grebe  to  reappear  in  the  neighborhood,  which 
it  never  dreams  of  doing.  It  will  swim  swiftly  under  water  to  a 
safe  distance  from  danger;  then,  by  keeping  only  its  nostrils  ex- 
posed to  the  air,  will  float  along  just  under  the  surface  and  leave 
its  would-be  assassin  completely  mystified  as  to  its  whereabouts 
— a  trick  the  very  fledglings  practice.  It  is  amazing  how  long  a 
grebe  can  remain  submerged.  In  pursuing  fish,  which  form  its 
staple  diet;  in  diving  to  escape  danger,  to  feed,  to  loosen  water- 
weeds  for  the  construction  of  its  nest,  among  its  other  concerns 
below  the  surface,  it  has  been  missed  under  water  for  five  minutes, 
and  not  at  all  short  of  breath  on  its  return  above  at  the  end  of  that 
time.  Fresh-water  mollusks,  newts,  winged  insects,  vegetable 
matter,  including  seeds  of  wild  grain  and  some  grasses,  vary  the 
bird's  fish  diet. 

Ungainly  and  ill  at  ease  on  land,  in  fact,  almost  helpless 
there,  a  grebe  rarely  ventures  out  of  the  water  either  to  sleep  or  to 
nest.  The  young  rest  on  their  mother's  back  after  their  first  swim- 
ming lessons  that  are  begun  the  hour  they  are  hatched ;  but  they 
quickly  become  wonderfully  expert  and  independent  of  every- 
thing except  water:  that  is  their  proper  element.  Nevertheless 
they  can  fly  with  speed  and  grace,  though  with  much  working 


Grebes 

of  their  short  wings  and  stretching  of  their  short  bodies,  from 
which  their  heads  project  as  far  as  may  be  at  one  end  and  their 
great  lobed  feet  at  the  other. 

The  nest  of  all  grebes  is  an  odd  affair,  one  of  the  curiosities 
of  bird  architecture.  A  few  blades  of  "saw  grass"  may  or  may 
not  serve  as  anchor  to  the  floating  mass  of  water-weeds  pulled 
from  the  bottom  of  the  lake  and  held  together  by  mud  and  moss. 
The  structure  resembles  nothing  so  much  as  a  mud  pancake  ris- 
ing two  or  three  inches  above  the  water,  though,  like  an  iceberg, 
only  about  one-eighth  of  it  shows  above  the  surface.  A  grebe's 
nest  is  often  two  or  three  feet  in  depth.  In  a  shallow  depression, 
from  fourtoten,  though  usually  five,  soiled,  brownish-white  eggs 
are  laid,  and  concealed  by  a  mass  of  wet  muck  whenever  the 
mother  leaves  her  incubating  duties.  At  night  she  sits  on  the 
nest,  and  for  some  hours  each  day;  but  at  other  times  the  water- 
soaked,  muck-covered  cradle,  with  the  help  of  the  sun,  steams 
the  contents  into  life. 


THE  LOONS 

(Family  urinatoridce) 

Loon 

(Urinator  imber) 

Calledalso:  GREAT  NORTHERN  DIVER;  COMMON  LOON; 
LOOM 

Length — 31  to  36  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  glossy  black,  showing 
iridescent  violet  and  green  tints.  Back  and  wings  spotted 
and  barred  with  white;  white  spaces  on  the  neck  marking  off 
black  bands,  and  sides  of  breast  streaked  with  white.  Breast 
and  underneath  white.  Bill  stout,  straight,  sharply  pointed, 
and  yellowish  green.  Legs,  which  are  placed  at  rear  of  body, 
are  short,  buried  and  feathered  to  heel  joint.  Tail  short, 
but  well  formed.  Feet  black  and  webbed.  In  winter  and 
immature  specimens:  Upper  parts  blackish  and  feathers 
margined  with  grayish,  not  spotted  with  white.  Under- 
neath white ;  throat  sometimes  has  grayish  wash. 

Range — Northern  part  of  northern  hemisphere.  In  North 
America  breeds  from  the  Northern  United  States  to  Arctic 
Circle,  and  winters  from  the  southern  limit  of  its  breeding 
range  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Season — A  wandering  winter  resident.  Most  common  in  the  mi- 
grations from  September  to  May. 

This  largest  and  handsomest  of  the  diving  birds,  as  it  is  the 
most  disagreeably  voiced,  comes  down  to  our  latitude  in  winter, 
when  its  favorite  inland  lakes  at  the  north  begin  to  freeze 
over  and  the  fish  to  fail,  and  wanders  about  far  from  the  haunts 
of  men  along  the  seacoast  or  by  the  fresh  waterways.  Cau- 
tious, shy,  fond  of  solitude,  it  shifts  about  from  place  to  place 
discouraging  our  acquaintance.  By  the  time  it  reaches  the  United 
States — for  the  majority  nest  farther  north — it  has  exchanged  its 
rich,  velvety  black  and  white  wedding  garment  for  a  more  dingy 
suit,  in  which  the  immature  specimens  are  also  dressed.  With 


Loons 

strong,  direct  flight  small  companies  of  loons  may  be  seen  high 
overhead  migrating  southward  to  escape  the  ice  that  locks  up 
their  food;  or  a  solitary  bird,  some  fine  morning  in  September, 
may  cause  us  to  look  up  to  where  a  long-drawn,  melancholy, 
uncanny  scream  seems  to  rend  the  very  clouds.  Nuttall  speaks 
of  the  "sad  and  wolfish  call  which  like  a  dismal  echo  seems 
slowly  to  invade  the  ear,  and  rising  as  it  proceeds,  dies  away  in 
the  air.  This  boding  sound  to  mariners,  supposed  to  be  indica- 
tive of  a  storm,  may  be  heard  sometimes  two  or  three  miles 
when  the  bird  itself  is  invisible,  or  reduced  almost  to  a  speck  in 
the  distance."  But  the  loon  has  also  a  soft  and  rather  pleasing 
cry,  to  which  doubtless  Longfellow  referred  in  his  "  Birds  of  Pas- 
sage," when  he  wrote  of 

.     .     .     "  The  loon  that  la ughs  and  flies 
Down  to  those  reflected  skies." 

Not  so  aquatic  as  the  grebes,  perhaps  the  loons  are  quite 
as  remarkable  divers  and  swimmers.  The  cartridge  of  the 
modern  breech-loader  gives  no  warning  of  a  coming  shot,  as 
the  old-fashioned  flint-lock  did  ;  nevertheless,  the  loon,  which 
is  therefore  literally  quicker  than  a  flash  at  diving,  disappears 
nine  times  out  of  ten  before  the  shot  reaches  the  spot  where 
the  bird  had  been  floating  with  apparent  unconcern  only  a 
second  before.  As  its  flesh  is  dark,  tough,  and  unpalatable,  the 
sportsman  loses  nothing  of  value  except  his  temper.  Sometimes 
young  loons  are  eaten  in  camps  where  better  meat  is  scarce,  and 
are  even  offered  in  large  city  markets  where  it  isn't. 

In  spring  when  the  ice  has  broken  up,  a  pair  of  loons  retire  to 
the  shores  of  some  lonely  inland  lake  or  river,  and  here  on  the 
ground  they  build  a  rude  nest  in  a  slight  depression  near  enough 
to  the  water  to  glide  off  into  it  without  touching  their  feet  to  the 
sand.  In  June  two  grayish  olive-brown  eggs,  spotted  with  um- 
ber brown,  are  hatched.  The  young  are  frequently  seen  on  land 
as  they  go  waddling  about  from  pond  to  pond.  After  the  nesting 
season  the  parents  separate  and  undergo  a  moult  which  some- 
times leaves  so  few  feathers  on  their  bodies  that  they  are  unable 
to  rise  in  the  air.  When  on  land  they  are  at  any  time  almost 
helpless  and  exceedingly  awkward,  using  their  wings  and  bill  to 
assist  their  clumsy  feet. 

15 


Loons 

The  Black-throated  Loon  (Urinator  arcticus),  a  more  north- 
ern species  than  the  preceding,  reaches  only  the  Canadian  border 
of  the  United  States  in  winter.  It  may  be  distinguished  from  the 
common  loon  by  its  smaller  size,  twenty-seven  inches,  and  by 
its  gray  feathers  on  the  top  of  the  head  and  the  nape  of  the  neck, 
though  in  winter  plumage  even  this  slight  difference  of  feathers 
is  lacking. 

Red-throated  Loon 

(Urinator  lumme) 

Called  also:  SPRAT  LOON;  RED-THROATED  DIVER; 
COBBLE 

Length — 25  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Crown  and  upper  parts  dull  brown- 
ish black,  with  a  greenish  wash  and  profusely  marked  with 
white  oval  spots  and  streaks.  Underneath  white.  Bluish 
gray  on  forehead,  chin,  upper  throat,  and  sides  of  head.  A 
triangular  mark  of  chestnut  red  on  fore  neck.  Bill  black. 
Tail  narrowly  tipped  with  white.  In  winter  and  immature 
specimens:  Similar  to  the  common  loon  in  winter,  except 
that  the  back  is  spotted  with  white. 

Range — Throughout  northern  parts  of  northern  hemisphere;  mi- 
grating southward  in  winter  nearly  across  the  United  States. 

Season — Winter  visitor  or  resident. 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  at  a  little  distance  to  distinguish  this 
loon  from  the  great  northern  diver,  for  the  young  of  the  year, 
which  are  most  abundant  migrants  in  the  United  States,  lack  the 
chestnut-red  triangle  on  the  throat,  which  is  the  bird's  chief  mark 
of  identification.  Its  smaller  size  is  apparent  only  at  close  range. 
In  habits  these  loons  are  almost  identical;  and  although  their 
name,  used  metaphorically,  has  come  to  imply  a  simpleton  or 
crazy  fellow,  no  one  who  has  studied  them,  and  certainly  no  one 
who  has  ever  tried  to  shoot  one,  can  call  them  stupid.  It  is  only 
on  land,  where  they  are  almost  never  seen,  that  they  even 
look  so. 

Audubon  found  the  red-throated  loons  nesting  on  the  coast 
of  Labrador,  near  small  fresh-water  lakes,  in  June.  The  young 
are  able  to  fly  by  August,  and  in  September  can  join  the  older  mi- 
grants in  their  southern  flight.  In  England  these  loons  follow  the 

16 


Loons 


movements  of  the  sprats,  on  which  they  feed;  hence  one  of  their 
common  names  by  which  our  Canadian  cousins  often  call  them. 
Fishermen  sometimes  bring  one  of  these  divers  that  has  been 
gorging  on  the  imprisoned  fish,  to  shore  in  their  nets.  For  a 
fuller  account  of  the  bird's  habits,  see  the  common  loon. 


AUKS,  MURRES,  PUFFINS 

(Family  Alcidce) 

Puffin 

(Fratercula  arctica) 

Called  also  :  SEA  PARROT;  COULTERNEB;  MASKING 
PUFFIN 

Length— I 3  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  blackish;  browner  on  the  head 
and  front  of  neck.  Sides  of  the  head  and  throat  white ;  some- 
times grayish.  Nape  of  neck  has  narrow  grayish  collar. 
Breast  and  underneath  white.  Feet  less  broadly  webbed 
than  a  loon's.  Bill  heavy  and  resembling  a  parrot's.  In 
nesting  season  bill  assumes  odd  shapes,  showing  ridges  and 
furrows,  an  outgrowth  of  soft  parts  that  have  hardened  and 
taken  on  bright  tints.  A  horny  spine  over  eye.  Colored 
rosette  at  corner  of  mouth. 

Range— Coasts  and  islands  of  the  North  Atlantic,  nesting  on  the 
North  American  coast  from  the  Bay  of  Fundy  northward. 
South  in  winter  to  Long  Island,  and  casually  beyond. 

Season — Winter  visitor. 

Few  Americans  have  seen  this  curious-looking  bird  outside 
the  glass  cases  of  museums ;  nevertheless  numbers  of  them  strag- 
gle down  the  Atlantic  coast  as  far  as  Long  Island  every  winter, 
from  the  countless  myriads  that  nest  in  the  rocky  cliffs  around  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  Unlike  either  grebes 
or  loons,  puffins  are  gregarious,  especially  at  the  nesting  season. 
In  April  great  numbers  begin  to  assemble  in  localities  to  which 
they  return  year  after  year,  and  select  crevices  in  the  rocks  or  bur- 
row deep  holes  like  a  rabbit,  to  receive  the  solitary  egg  that  is  the 
object  of  so  much  solicitude  two  months  later.  Both  male  and 
female  work  at  excavating  the  tunnel  and  at  feeding  their  one 
offspring,  which  has  an  appetite  for  fish  and  other  sea-food  large 
enough  for  a  more  numerous  family.  By  the  end  of  August  the 

18 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

entire  colony  breaks  up  and  follows  the  exodus  of  fish,  completely 
deserting  their  nesting  grounds,  where  any  young  ones  that  may 
be  hatched  late  are  left  to  be  preyed  upon  by  hawks  and  ravens. 
"Notwithstanding  this  apparent  neglect  of  their  young  at  this 
time,  when  every  other  instinct  is  merged  in  the  desire  and  neces- 
sity of  migration,"  wrote  Nuttall,  "no  bird  is  more  attentive  to 
them  in  general,  since  they  will  suffer  themselves  to  be  taken  by 
the  hand  and  use  every  endeavor  to  save  and  screen  their  young, 
biting  not  only  their  antagonist,  but,  when  laid  hold  of  by  the 
wings,  inflicting  bites  on  themselves,  as  if  actuated  by  the  agonies 
of  despair;  and  when  released,  instead  of  flying  away,  they 
hurry  again  into  the  burrow."  A  hand  thrust  in  after  one  may 
drag  the  angry  parent,  that  has  fastened  its  beak  upon  a  finger,  to 
the  mouth  of  the  tunnel;  but  a  certain  fisherman  off  the  coast  of 
Nova  Scotia,  who  lost  a  piece  of  solid  flesh  in  this  experiment, 
now  gives  advice  freely  against  it. 

The  beak  that  is  able  to  inflict  so  serious  an  injury  is  this 
bird's  chief  characteristic.  It  looks  as  if  it  had  been  bought  at  a 
toyshop  for  some  reveller  in  masquerade;  but  the  puffin  wears  it 
only  when  engaged  in  the  most  serious  business  of  life,  for  it  is 
the  wedding  garment  donned  by  both  contracting  parties.  It 
is  about  as  long  as  the  head,  as  high  as  it  is  long,  having  flat 
sides  that  show  numerous  ridges  or  furrows  from  the  fact  that 
each  represents  new  growth  of  soft  matter  that  finally  hardens 
into  horn  as  the  nesting  season  approaches,  only  to  disappear  bit 
by  bit  until  nine  pieces  have  been  moulted  or  shed,  very  much  as 
a  deer  casts  its  antlers.  The  white  pelican  drops  its  "centre- 
board "  in  a  similar  manner.  In  the  puffins  there  is  also  a  moult 
of  the  excrescenses  upon  the  eyelids,  and  a  shrivelling  of  the  col- 
ored rosette  at  the  corner  of  the  mouth,  peculiarities  first  scientif- 
ically noted  by  L.  Bereau  about  twenty  years  ago.  The  change 
of  plumage  after  moult  is  scarcely  perceptible. 

On  land  the  bird  walks  upright,  awkwardly  shuffling  along 
on  the  full  length  of  its  legs  and  feet.  It  is  an  accomplished 
swimmer  and  diver,  like  the  grebes  and  loons,  although,  unlike 
them,  it  uses  its  wings  under  water.  When  a  strong  gale  is 
blowing  off  the  coast,  the  puffins  seek  shelter  in  the  crevices  of 
the  rocks  or  their  tunnels  in  the  sand;  but  some  that  were  over- 
taken by  it  on  the  open  sea,  unable  to  weather  it,  are  sometimes 
found  washed  ashore  dead  after  a  violent  storm.  Mr.  Brewster, 

'9 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

who  made  a  special  study  of  these  birds  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence, writes:  "The  first  report  of  our  guns  brought  dozens 
tumbling  from  their  nests.  Their  manner  of  descending  from 
the  higher  portions  of  the  cliff  was  peculiar.  Launching  into  the 
air  with  heads  depressed  and  wings  held  stiffly  at  a  sharp  angle 
above  their  backs,  they  would  shoot  down  like  meteors,  check- 
ing their  speed  by  an  upward  turn  just  before  reaching  the  water. 
In  a  few  minutes  scores  had  collected  about  us.  They  were  per- 
fectly silent  and  very  tame,  passing  and  repassing  over  and  by  us, 
often  coming  within  ten  or  fifteen  yards.  On  such  occasions 
their  flight  has  a  curious  resemblance  to  that  of  a  woodcock,  but 
when  coming  in  from  the  fishing  grounds  they  skim  close  to  the 
waves  and  the  wings  are  moved  more  in  the  manner  of  those  of 
a  duck." 

Black  Guillemot 

(Cepphus  grylle) 

Called  also:    SEA  PIGEON 

Length — 13  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Prevailing  color  sooty  black,  with 
greenish  tints  above  and  lighter  below.  Large  white  patch  on 
upper  wings,  and  white  ends  of  wing  feathers,  leave  a  black 
bar  across  the  wings,  sometimes  apparently,  though  not 
really,  absent;  wing  linings  white.  Bill  and  claws  black; 
mouth  and  feet  vermilion  or  pinkish.  In  "winter :  Wings 
and  tail  black,  with  white  patch  on  wings;  back,  hind  neck, 
and  head  black  or  gray  variegated  with  white.  Under  parts 
white. 

Young — Upper  parts  like  adults  in  winter,  except  that  the  under 
parts  are  mottled  with  black.  Nestlings  are  covered  with 
blackish-brown  down.  Feet  and  legs  blackish. 

Range — Breeds  from  Maine  to  Newfoundland  and  beyond ;  mi- 
grates south  in  winter,  regularly  to  Cape  Cod,  more  rarely  to 
Long  Island,  and  casually  as  far  as  Philadelphia. 

Small  companies  of  sea  pigeons,  made  up  of  two  or  three 
pairs  that  keep  well  together,  may  be  seen  almost  grazing  along 
the  surface  of  the  sea  off  our  northern  States  and  the  Canadian 
coast,  following  a  straight  line  at  the  base  of  the  cliffs  while 
keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  small  fish,  shrimps,  baby  crabs, 
and  marine  insects  they  pick  up  on  the  way.  Suddenly  one  of 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

the  birds  dives  after  a  fish,  pursues,  overtakes,  and  swallows  it, 
then  rejoins  its  mate  with  little  loss  of  time;  for  these  sea  pigeons 
use  their  wings  under  water  as  well  as  above  it,  and  so  are  able  to 
reappear  above  the  surface  at  surprising  distances  from  the  point 
where  they  went  down.  They  are  truly  marine  birds;  never 
met  with  inland,  and  rarely  on  the  shore  itself,  except  at  the 
nesting  season.  Large  companies  nest  in  the  crevices  and  fis- 
sures of  cliffs  and  rocky  promontories,  heaping  up  little  piles  of 
pebbles  that  act  as  drains  for  rainwater  or  melting  snow  under 
the  eggs.  Incubation  takes  place  in  June  or  July,  according  to 
the  latitude.  Two  or  three  sea-green  or  whitish  eggs,  irregu- 
larly spotted  and  blotched  with  blackish  brown,  and  with  pur- 
plish shell-markings,  make  up  a  clutch. 

In  the  diary  kept  on  the  Jeannette,  De  Long  recorded  meeting 
with  black  guillemots  in  latitude  73°,  swimming  about  in  the  open 
spaces  between  the  ice-floes  early  in  May ;  and  Greely  ate  their 
eggs  off  the  shores  of  Northern  Greenland  in  July.  Both  explor- 
ers mentioned  the  presence  of  fox  tracks  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  guillemots,  proving  that  this  arch  enemy  pursues  them  even 
into  the  desolation  of  the  Arctic  Circle.  One  of  the  first  lessons 
taught  the  young  birds  is  to  hurl  themselves  from  the  jutting 
rocks  to  escape  the  fox  that  is  forever  threatening  their  lives  in 
the  eyries,  and  to  dive  into  the  sea  that  protects  and  feeds  them. 


Brunnich's  Murre 

(Uria  lomviaj 

Called  also:  BRUNNICH'S  GUILLEMOT;   ARRIE;   EGG  BIRD; 
PENGUIN;    FOOLISH  GUILLEMOT 

Length—  \  6. 50  inches. 

Male  and  Female— Sooty  black  above,  brownest  on  front  of  neck. 
Breast  and  underneath,  white.  White  tips  to  secondaries 
form  an  obscure  band.  Greenish  base  to  the  upper  half  of 
bill,  which  is  rounded  outward  over  the  lower  half.  Bill 
short,  stout,  wide,  and  deep. 

fiange— Coasts  and  islands  of  the  North  Atlantic  and  eastern  Arc- 
tic Oceans.  South  to  the  lakes  of  Northern  New  York  and 
the  coast  of  New  Jersey.  Nests  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence northward. 

Season— Winter  visitor  in  United  States. 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

"The  bird  cliffs  on  Arveprins  Island  (Northern  Greenland) 
deserve  a  passing  notice,  not  for  Arctic  travellers,  but  for  the  gen^ 
eral  reader,"  writes  General  Greely  in  "Three  Years  of  Arctic 
Service." 

.  "  For  over  a  thousand  feet  out  of  the  sea  these  cliffs  rise  per- 
pendicularly, broken  only  by  narrow  ledges,  in  general  inaccessi- 
ble to  man  or  other  enemy,  which  afford  certain  kinds  of  sea 
fowl  secure  and  convenient  breeding  places.  On  the  face  of 
these  sea-ledges  of  Arveprins  Island,  Briinnich's  guillemots,  or 
loons,  (sic)  gather  in  the  breeding  season,  not  by  thousands,  but 
by  tens  of  thousands.  Each  lays  but  a  single  gray  egg,  speckled 
with  brown ;  yet  so  numerous  are  the  birds,  that  every  available 
spot  is  covered  with  eggs.  The  surprising  part  is  that  each  bird 
knows  its  own  egg,  although  there  is  no  nest  and  it  rests  on  the 
bare  rock.  Occasional  quarrels  over  an  egg  generally  result  in  a 
score  of  others  being  rolled  into  the  sea. 

"The  clumsy,  short- winged  birds  fall  an  easy  prey  to  the 
sportsman,  provided  the  cliffs  are  not  too  high,  but  many  fall  on 
lower  inaccessible  ledges,  and  so  uselessly  perish.  A  single  shot 
brings  out  thousands  on  the  wing,  and  the  unpleasant  cackling, 
which  is  continuous  when  undisturbed,  becomes  a  deafening 
clamor  when  they  are  hunted. 

"The  eggs  are  very  palatable.  The  flesh  is  excellent — to 
my  taste  the  best  flavored  of  any  Arctic  sea  fowl;  but,  to  avoid 
the  slightly  train-oil  taste,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  the  bird  to  ripen, 
and  to  carefully  skin  it  before  cooking."  Later  on,  the  starving 
survivors  in  the  camp  near  Cape  Sabine  owed  the  prolonging  of 
their  wretched  existence  from  day  to  day  largely  to  these  very 
birds. 

When  these  murres  come  down  from  the  far  north  to  visit 
us  in  winter  they  keep  so  well  out  from  land  that  none  of  our 
ornithologists  seem  to  have  made  a  very  close  study  of  them. 
Like  other  birds  of  the  order  to  which  they  belong,  they  dive  sud- 
denly out  of  sight  when  approached,  and  by  the  help  of  wings 
and  feet  swim  under  water  for  incredible  distances. 

The  Common  Murre  or  Guillemot  (Uria  troile),  so  called,  is 
certainly  less  common  in  the  United  States  than  the  preceding 
species.  Massachusetts  appears  to  be  its  southern  limit.  In 
winter,  when  we  see  it  here,  it  can  be  distinguished  from 

22 


BRUNNICHS  MURRE. 
X  Life-size. 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

Brunnich's  murre  only  by  its  bill,  which  is  half  an  inch  longer. 
Some  specimens  show  a  white  ring  or  "eye-glass"  around  the 
eye  and  a  white  stripe  behind  it;  but  doubt  exists  as  to  whether 
such  specimens  are  not  a  separate  species.  Much  study  has  still 
to  be  given  to  this  group  of  birds  before  the  differences  of  opin- 
ion held  by  the  leading  ornithologists  concerning  them  will  be 
settled  satisfactorily  to  all.  The  habits  of  the  three  murres  men- 
tioned here  are  identical  so  far  as  they  are  known.  Penguin  and 
foolish  guillemot  are  titles  sometimes  given  to  the  common 
murre;  but  to  add  to  popular  confusion,  they  are  just  as  frequently 
applied  to  Brunnich's  murre. 

The  Californian  murre,  the  Western  representative  of  these 
species,  differs  from  them  neither  in  plumage  nor  habits,  it  is  said. 
It  breeds  abundantly  from  Behring's  Sea  to  California,  and  the  na- 
tives of  Alaska  depend  upon  its  eggs  for  food.  They  were 
among  the  first  dainties  sold  to  the  Klondike  miners. 


Razor-billed   Auk 

(Alca  torda) 

Called  also  :  TINKER 

Length— 16.50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  sooty  black;  browner 
on  fore  neck.  A  conspicuous  white  line  from  eye  to  bill; 
breast,  narrow  line  on  wing,  wing-linings,  and  underneath, 
white.  Bill,  which  is  about  as  long  as  head,  and  black,  has 
horny  shield  on  tip  and  is  crossed  by  sunken  white  band. 
Tail  upturned.  In  winter:  Similar  to  summer  plumage,  ex- 
cept that  it  is  duller  and  the  sides  and  front  of  neck  are 
white.  Bill  lacks  horny  shield.  White  line  on  bill,  sometimes 
lacking  on  winter  birds  and  always  on  immature  specimens. 

Range—  "Coasts  and  islands  of  the  North  Atlantic;  south  in  win- 
ter on  the  North  American  coast,  casually  to  North  Carolina. 
Breeding  from  Eastern  Maine  northward."  A.  O.  U. 

Season — Winter  visitor. 

Audubon,  who  followed  these  birds  to  their  nesting  haunts 
in  Labrador  and  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  found  the  bodies  of  thousands 
strewn  on  the  shores,  where,  after  their  eggs  had  been  taken  by 
boat  loads  for  food,  and  the  fine,  warm  feathers  of  their  breasts 

23 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

had  been  torn  off  for  clothing,  they  were  left  to  decay.  In  Nova 
Scotia  he  met  three  men  who  made  a  business  of  egg-hunting. 
They  began  operations  by  trampling  on  all  the  eggs  they  found 
laid,  relying  on  the  well-known  habit  of  the  auk  and  its  relatives 
that  lay  but  a  single  egg,  to  replace  it  should  it  be  destroyed. 
Thus  they  made  sure  of  fresh  eggs  only.  In  the  course  of  six 
weeks  they  had  collected  thirty  thousand  dozen,  worth  about  two 
thousand  dollars.  As  this  wholesale  destruction  of  our  gregarious 
marine  birds  has  been  going  on  for  a  century  at  least,  is  it  not 
surprising  that  they  are  not  all  extinct,  like  the  great  auk  ? 

Without  wings  to  help  them  escape  from  the  voyagers  and 
fishermen  who  pursued  them  on  sea  and  ashore,  the  great  auks, 
that  in  Nuttall's  day  were  still  breeding  in  enormous  colonies  in 
Greenland,  dwindled  to  a  single  specimen  "found  dead  in  the 
vicinity  of  St.  Augustine,  Labrador,  in  November,  1870,"  which, 
although  in  poor  condition,  was  sold  for  two  hundred  dollars  to 
a  European  buyer.  The  Smithsonian  Institution,  the  Philadelphia 
Academy,  Cambridge  Museum,  and  Vassar  College  own  one 
specimen  each,  the  only  ones  in  this  country,  so  far  as  known. 

The  moral  from  the  story  of  the  great  auk  that  the  razor- 
billed  species  and  its  short-winged  relatives  should  take  to  heart, 
obviously,  is  to  keep  their  wings  from  degenerating  into  useless 
appendages,  by  constant  exercise.  They  certainly  are  strong 
flyers  in  their  present  evolutionary  stage,  and,  by  constantly  flap- 
ping their  stiffened  wings  just  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  are  usually 
able  to  escape  pursuit,  if  not  in  the  air  then  by  diving  through  the 
crest  of  a  wave  and  still  using  their  wings  as  a  fish  would  its  fins, 
to  assist  their  flight  under  water.  Though  they  move  awkwardly 
on  land,  so  awkwardly  as  to  suggest  the  possible  derivation  of 
the  adverb  from  their  name,  they  still  move  rapidly  enough  to  es- 
cape with  their  life  in  a  fair  race.  When  cornered,  the  hand  that 
attempts  to  seize  them  receives  a  bite  that  sometimes  takes  the 
flesh  from  the  bone— such  a  bite  as  the  sea  parrot  gives. 

In  the  nesting  grounds,  where  enormous  numbers  of  these 
razor-billed  auks  have  congregated  from  times  unknown,  the 
females  may  be  seen  crouching  along  the  eggs,  not  across  them, 
in  long,  seriate  ranks,  where  tier  after  tier  of  cliffs  rise  from 
the  water's  edge  to  several  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  Where 
there  is  no  attempt  at  a  nest,  and  each  buffy  and  brown  speckled 
egg  looks  just  like  the  thousands  of  others  lying  loosely  about 

24 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

in  the  rocky  crevices,  it  is  amazing  how  each  bird  can  tell  its 
own.  The  male  birds  are  kept  busy  during  incubation  bringing 
small  fish  in  their  bills  to  their  sitting  mates  or  relieving  them 
on  the  eggs  while  the  females  go  a-fishing.  For  a  short  time 
only  the  young  birds  are  fed  by  regurgitation ;  then  small  fish  are 
laid  before  them  for  them  to  help  themselves,  and  presently  they 
go  tumbling  off  the  jutting  rocks  into  the  sea  to  dive  and  hunt  in- 
dependently. Particularly  at  the  nesting  season  these  razor-bills 
utter  a  peculiar  grunt  or  groan ;  but  the  stragglers  from  the  great 
flocks  that  reach  our  coast  in  winter  are  almost  silent. 


Dovekie 

(Alle  alle) 

Called  also:  SEA  DOVE;  LITTLE  AUK;  PIGEON  DIVER; 
GREENLAND  DOVE;  ICE  BIRD 

Length— -8. 50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer  :  Upper  parts,  including  head  and 
neck  all  around,  glossy  black;  shoulders  and  other  wing 
feathers  tipped  with  white  and  forming  two  distinct  patches. 
Lower  breast  and  underneath  white.  A  few  white  touches 
about  eyes.  Wings  long  for  this  family.  Body  squat, 
owing  to  small,  weak  feet.  Wing  linings  dusky.  In  winter: 
Resembling  summer  plumage,  except  that  the  black  upper 
parts  become  sooty  and  the  white  of  lower  breast  extends 
upward  to  the  bill,  almost  encircling  the  neck.  Sometimes 
the  white  parts  are  washed  with  grayish  and  the  birds  have 
gray  collar  on  nape. 

Young — Like  adults  in  winter,  but  their  upper  parts  are  duller. 

Range — From  the  farthest  north  in  the  Atlantic  and  Arctic  oceans, 
south  to  Long  Island,  and  occasionally  so  far  as  Virginia. 

Season — Winter  visitor. 

In  the  chapter  entitled  "The  End— by  Death  and  by  Rescue," 
in  his  "Three  Years  of  Arctic  Service,"  General  Greely,  after  tell- 
ing how  the  wretched  men  at  Cape  Sabine  were  reduced  to  eating 
their  sealskin  boots  and  were  apparently  in  the  last  extremity, 
goes  on  to  describe  how  Long,  one  of  the  hunters  of  the  expedi- 
tion, one  awful  day  succeeded  in  shooting  four  of  these  little 
dovekies,  two  king-ducks,  and  a  large  guillemot.  But  the  current 
swept  away  all  the  birds  except  one  dovekie!  "  I  ordered  the 

25 


Auks,  Murres,  Puffins 

dovekie  to  be  issued  to  the  hunters  who  can  barely  walk,"  writes 
the  starving  commander;  "but  .  .  .  one  man  begged  with  tears 
for  his  twelfth,  which  was  given  him  with  everybody's  contempt." 
When  the  twelfth  part  of  a  little  bird  that  a  man  can  easily  c.over 
with  his  hand  causes  a  scene  like  this,  can  the  imagination  picture 
the  harrowing  misery  of  the  actual  situation  ? 

And  yet  where  man  and  nearly  every  other  living  creature 
perishes,  the  little  auk  pursues  its  happy  way,  floating  about  in 
the  open  water,  left  even  in  that  Arctic  desolation  by  the  drifting 
ice  floes,  and  diving  into  its  icy  depths  after  the  shrimps  that 
Greely's  party  collected  at  such  frightful  cost. 

Far  within  the  Arctic  Circle  great  colonies  nest  after  the 
fashion  of  their  tribe,  in  the  jutting  cliffs  that  overhang  the  sea. 
One  pale,  bluish-white  egg,  laid  on  the  bare  rock,  is  all  that  nature 
requires  of  these  birds  to  carry  on  the  species,  whose  chief  pro- 
tection lies  in  their  being  able  to  live  beyond  the  reach  of  men,  to 
escape  pursuit  by  diving  and  rapid  swimming  under  water,  and 
to  fly  in  the  teeth  of  a  gale  that  would  mean  death  to  a  puffin. 
With  so  many  means  of  self-preservation  at  their  disposal,  there 
is  no  need  of  a  large  family  to  keep  up  the  balance  that  nature 
adjusts. 

These  neat  little  birds,  whose  form  alone  suggests  a  dove, 
are  by  no  means  the  lackadaisical  creatures  their  name  seems  to 
imply.  They  are  self-reliant,  for  they  are  chiefly  solitary  birds 
that  straggle  down  our  coast  in  winter.  They  are  wonderfully 
quick  of  motion  in  their  chosen  element,  and  although  they  have 
a  peculiar  fashion  of  splashing  along  the  surface  of  the  water,  as 
if  unable  to  fly,  they  certainly  are  in  no  immediate  danger  of  be- 
coming extinct  from  the  loss  of  wings  through  disuse,  like  the 
great  auk.  A  little  sea  dove  that  once  flew  across  the  bow  of 
an  ocean  steamer  in  the  North  Atlantic  in  an  instant  became  a 
mere  speck  in  the  bleak  wintry  sky,  and  the  next  second  van- 
ished utterly. 


LONG-WINGED  SWIMMERS 

Jaegers 

Gulls 

Terns 


LONG-WINGED  SWIMMERS 

JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS 
(Order  Longipennes) 

Birds  of  this  order  may  be  recognized  among  the  webbed- 
footed  birds  by  their  long,  pointed  wings  that  reach  beyond  the 
base  of  the  tail,  and  in  many  instances  beyond  the  end  of  it. 
They  do  not  hold  themselves  erect  when  ashore,  as  the  grebes, 
loons,  and  auks  do,  but  are  able  to  keep  a  horizontal  position  be- 
cause their  legs  are  placed  nearly,  if  not  perfectly,  under  the  centre 
of  equilibrium.  Bills  of  variable  forms,  sharply  pointed  and  fre- 
quently hooked  like  a  hawk's.  Four  toes,  three  of  them  in 
front,  flat  and  webbed;  a  very  small  rudimentary  great  toe 
(hallux)  elevated  above  the  foot  at  the  back. 

Jaegers  and  Skuas 

(Family  Stercorariidce) 

End  of  upper  half  of  bill  is  more  or  less  swollen  and  rounded 
over  the  tip  of  lower  mandible.  Upper  parts  of  plumage,  and 
sometimes  all,  sooty,  brownish  black,  frequently  with  irregular 
bars.  Middle  feathers  of  square  tail  are  longest.  The  name 
jaeger,  meaning  hunter,  might  be  freely  translated  into  pirate;  for 
these  creatures  of  spirited,  vigorous  flight  delight  in  pursuing 
smaller  gulls  and  terns  to  rob  them  of  their  fish,  like  the  marine 
birds  of  prey  that  they  are.  Jaegers  and  skuas  are  birds  of  the 
seacoast  or  large  bodies  of  inland  water,  and  wander  extensively 
except  at  the  nesting  season  in  the  far  North. 

Parasitic  Jaeger. 

Pomarine  Jaeger. 

Long-tailed  Jaeger. 
29 


Long-winged  Swimmers 

Gulls  and  Terns 

(Family  Laridce) 

The  Gulls 

(Subfamily  Larince) 

Bills  of  moderate  length,  the  upper  mandible  not  swollen  at 
the  tip  like  the  jaegers,  but  curved  over  the  end  of  the  lower 
mandible.  Wings  long,  broad,  strong  and  pointed,  though  their 
flight  is  less  graceful  than  a  tern's.  Tail  feathers  usually  of  about 
equal  length.  Sexes  alike,  but  the  plumage,  in  which  white, 
brown,  black,  and  pearl-blue  predominate,  varies  greatly  with 
age  and  season.  In  flight  the  bill  points  forward,  not  downward 
like  a  tern's.  Gulls  pick  their  food  from  the  surface  of  the  sea 
or  shore,  whereas  terns  plunge  for  theirs.  Gulls  are  the  better 
swimmers,  and  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  at  sea,  coming 
to  shore  chiefly  to  nest  in  large  colonies. 

Kittiwake  Gull. 

Glaucous  Gull,  or  Burgomaster. 

Iceland  Gull. 

Great  Black-backed  Gull. 

Herring  Gull. 

Ring-billed  Gull. 

Laughing  Gull.  > 

Bonaparte's  Gull. 

Terns 

(Subfamily  Sterince) 

Small  birds  of  the  coast  rather  than  the  open  sea.  Bill 
straight,  not  hooked,  and  sharply  pointed.  Outer  tail  feathers 
longer  than  the  middle  ones ;  tails  usually  very  deeply  forked. 
Legs  placed  farther  back  than  a  gull's,  and  form  of  body  more 
slender  and  trim.  Great  length  and  sharpness  of  wing  give  a 
dash  to  their  flight  that  the  gull's  lacks.  Bill  held  point  down- 
ward, like  a  mosquito's,  when  tern  is  searching  for  food.  Plu- 
mage scarcely  differs  in  the  sexes,  but  it  varies  greatly  with  the 
season  and  age.  Usually  the  top  of  head  is  black ;  in  the  rest  of 
the  plumage  pearl  grays,  browns,  and  white  predominate.  Tails 


Long-winged  Swimmers 

generally  long  and  forked,  so  that  in  aspect,  as  in  flight,  the  birds 
suggest  their  name  of  sea  swallow. 

Marsh  Tern. 

Royal  Tern. 

Wilson's  Tern,  or  Common  Tern. 

Roseate  Tern. 

Arctic  Tern. 

Least  Tern. 

Black  Tern. 


Skimmers 

(Family  Rynchopidce) 

Only  one  species  of  skimmer  inhabits  the  Western  Hemi- 
sphere. These  birds  have  extraordinary  bills,  thin,  and  resembling 
the  blade  of  a  knife,  with  lower  half  much  longer  than  the  upper 
mandible,  and  used  to  skim  food  from  the  surface  of  the  water 
and  to  open  shells.  Wings  exceedingly  long;  flight  more  meas- 
ured and  sweeping  than  a  tern's. 

Black  Skimmer,  or  Scissor  Bill. 


JAEGERS  AND  SKUAS 

(Family  Stercorariidce) 

Parasitic  Jaeger 

(Stercorarius  parasiticus) 

Called  also:    MAN-OF-WAR;    ARCTIC  JAEGER;    RICHARD- 
SON'S JAEGER;    TEASER 

Length —  1 7. 20  inches. 

Male  and  Female— Light  stage:  Top  of  head  and  cheeks  brown, 
nearly  black;  back,  wings,  and  tail  slaty  brown,  which  be- 
comes reddish  brown  on  sides  )f  breast  and  flanks.  Sides 
of  head,  back  of  neck,  and  sometimes  entire  neck  and  throat 
yellowish.  Under  parts  white.  Wings  moderately  long, 
strong  and  pointed.  Middle  feathers  of  tail  longest.  Black 
tip  of  upper  half  of  slate-colored  bill  is  swollen  and  rounded 
over  end  of  lower  mandible  like  a  hawk's.  Feet  black. 
Dark  stage :  Plumage  dark  slaty  brown,  darker  on  top  of 
head,  very  slightly  lighter  on  under  parts.  Immature  speci- 
mens, which  seem  to  be  most  abundant  off  our  coasts, 
show  sooty  slate  plumage;  bordered,  tipped,  or  barred 
with  buffy,  rufous,  or  brownish  black,  giving  the  bird  a  mot- 
tled appearance.  Plumage  extremely  variable  with  age  and 
season. 

Range — Nests  in  Barren  Grounds,  Greenland,  and  other  high 
northern  districts;  migrates  southward  along  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  coasts  and  through  the  Great  Lakes,  wintering 
from  New  York,  California,  and  the  Middle  States  to  Brazil. 

Season — October  to  June.     Winter  visitor. 

This  dusky  pirate,  strong  of  wing  and  marvelously  skilful 
and  alert  in  its  flight,  uses  its  superior  powers  chiefly  to  harass 
and  prey  upon  smaller  birds.'  Lashing  the  air  with  its  long  tail, 
and  with  wide  wing  stretchings  and  powerful  strokes,  the 
jaeger  comes  bearing  down  on  a  kittiwake  gull  that  holds  a 

32 


Jaegers 

dripping  fish  ready  for  a  contemplated  dinner.  To  dart  away 
from  its  tormentor,  that  darts,  too,  even  more  suddenly ;  to  outrace 
the  jaeger,  although  freighted  with  the  fish,  are  tried  resorts  that 
the  little  gull  must  finally  despair  of  when  the  inevitable  moment 
arrives  that  the  coveted  fish  has  to  be  dropped  for  the  pirate  to 
snatch  up  and  bear  away  in  triumph. 

Other  gulls  than  the  kittiwake  suffer  from  this  ocean  prowler; 
their  young  and  eggs  are  eaten,  their  food  is  taken  out  of  their 
very  mouths.  As  they  live  so  largely  on  the  results  of  other 
birds'  efforts,  the  jaegers  deserve  to  be  branded  as  parasites, 
which  all  the  group  are.  Indeed,  these  birds  that  the  English  call 
skuas,  differ  very  little,  if  any,  in  habits.  While  all  spend  the 
summer  far  north,  the  parasitic  jaeger  has  really  less  claim  to  the 
title  of  Arctic  jaeger  than  either  the  pomarine  or  the  long-tailed 
species,  which  go  within  the  Arctic  Circle  to  nest.  On  an  open 
moor  or  tundra,  in  a  slight  depression  of  the  ground,  a  rude  nest 
is  scantily  lined  with  grass,  moss,  or  leaves.  Sometimes  this  nest 
is  near  the  margin  of  the  sea  or  lake,  sometimes  on  an  ocean 
island  and  laid  among  the  rocks.  It  contains  from  two  to  four — 
usually  two — light  olive-brown  eggs  that  are  frequently  tinged 
with  greenish  and  scrawled  over  with  chocolate  markings  most 
plentiful  at  the  larger  end,  where  they  may  run  together  and  form 
a  blotch. 

By  the  end  of  September  the  jaegers  begin  their  southerly 
migration,  reaching  Long  Island  in  October,  regularly,  and  quite 
as  regularly  leaving  early  in  June.  During  the  winter  they  play 
the  role  of  sea  scavengers  when  they  are  not  robbing  the  gulls, 
that  will  actually  disgorge  a  meal  already  safely  stowed  away 
rather  than  submit  to  the  harassing,  petty  tortures  of  these  pirates. 
Jaegers  constantly  pick  up  carrion  and  other  rubbish  cast  up  by 
the  sea  or  thrown  overboard  from  a  passing  ship,  for  nothing  in 
the  line  of  food,  however  putrid  it  may  be,  seems  to  miss  the 
mark  of  their  rapacious  appetites,  as  their  Latin  name,  stercora- 
rius,  a  scavenger,  indicates.  On  land  they  always  seek  choicer 
food,  garnered  by  their  own  effort — berries,  insects,  eggs,  little 
birds,  and  mammals. 

The  best  trait  the  jaegers  have  is  their  uncommon  cour- 
age. Nothing  that  attacks  their  home  or  young  is  too  large  or 
fierce  for  them  to  dash  at  fearlessly;  and  by  persistent  teasing 
and  harassing,  for  the  want  of  formidable  weapons  of  defense, 

53 


Jaegers 

they  will  eventually  get  the  better  of  their  antagonist,  though  it 
be  a  sea  eagle. 

The  Pomarine  Jaeger — a  contraction  of  pomatorhine,  mean- 
ing flap-nosed — ( ' Stercorarius  pomarinus)  may  be  distinguished 
from  the  parasitic  jaeger  by  its  larger  size,  twenty-two  inches; 
by  the  rounded  ends  of  its  central  tail  feathers,  which  project  about 
three  inches  beyond  the  others;  and  finally  by  its  darker,  almost 
black,  upper  parts,  although  the  plumage  during  the  dark  and 
the  light  phases  of  these  birds  is  so  nearly  the  same  that  when 
seen  on  the  wing  it  is  impossible  to  tell  one  species  from  another. 
Professor  Newton,  of  Cambridge  University,  has  noted  that  the 
long,  central  tail  feathers  of  the  pomarine  jaeger  have  their  shafts 
twisted  toward  the  tip,  so  that  in  flight  the  lower  surfaces  of  their 
webs  are  pressed  together  vertically,  giving  the  bird  the  appear- 
ance of  having  a  disk  attached  to  its  tail.  This  species  is  also 
called  the  pomarine  hawk-gull. 

It  is  not  known  whether  the  Long-tailed  Jaeger,  or  BufTon's 
Skua,  as  they  call  it  in  England  (Stercorarius  longicaudus), 
undergoes  the  remarkable  changes  of  plumage  that  its  relatives  in- 
dulge in  or  not,  for  its  range  is  more  northerly  than  that  of  any  of 
the  jaegers,  and  when  it  migrates  south  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  to  our 
coasts,  it  is  wearing  feathers  most  confusingly  like  those  of  the 
parasitic  jaeger  in  its  light  phase.  Indeed,  the  young  of  these 
two  species  cannot  be  distinguished  except  by  measuring  their 
bills,  when  it  is  found  -that  the  long-tailed  jaeger  has  the  shorter 
bill. 

The  distinguishing  mark  of  the  adults  of  this  species  is  the 
length  of  the  central  tail  feathers,  narrow  and  pointed,  that  pro- 
ject about  seven  inches  beyond  the  others;  but  immature  speci- 
mens lack  even  this  mark.  The  description  of  the  habits  of  the 
parasitic  jaeger  applies  equally  well  to  all  of  the  three  freebooters 
mentioned. 


34 


GULLS  AND  TERNS 

(Family  Laridce) 

Gulls 

(Subfamily  Larince) 

Kittiwake 

(Rissa  tridactyla) 

Length — 16  inches. 

Male  and  Female— In  summer:  Deep  pearl  gray  mantle  over  back 
and  wings.  Head,  neck,  tail,  and  under  parts  pure  white. 
Ends  of  outer  wing  feathers — primaries — black,  tipped  with 
white.  Tips  of  tail  quills  black.  Hind  toe  very  small,  a 
mere  knob,  and  without  a  claw.  Bill  light  yellow.  Feet 
webbed  and  black.  In  winter:  Similar  to  summer  plumage, 
but  that  the  mantle  is  a  darker  gray  and  extends  to  back  of 
neck.  Dark  spot  about  the  eye. 

Range — Arctic  regions,  south  in  eastern  North  America  in  winter 
to  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  coast  of  Virginia.  Breeds  from 
Magdalen  Islands  northward. 

Season — Autumn  and  winter  visitor  in  the  Middle  States.  Com- 
mon north  of  them  all  winter. 

It  is  the  larger  herring  gull  that  we  see  in  such  numbers  in 
our  harbors  and  following  in  the  path  of  vessels  along  our  coast; 
but  the  watchful  eye  may  often  pick  out  a  few  kittiwakes  in  the 
loose  flocks,  and  north  of  Rhode  Island  meet  with  a  company  of 
them  apart  from  others  of  their  kin.  Skimming  gracefully  along 
the  surface  of  the  water,  soaring,  floating  in  mid-air,  swooping 
for  a  morsel  in  the  trough  of  the  waves,  then  with  a  few  strong 
wing  strokes  rejoining  their  fellows  as  they  play  at  cross-tag 
in  the  sky,  t  the  gulls  fascinate  the  eyes  and  beguile  many  a 
weary  hour  at  sea. 

Along  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  on  the  craggy  cliffs  of 
Greenland,  and  beyond,  large  colonies  of  kittiwakes  nest  on  the 

35 


Gulls 

ledges  of  rock  barely  scattered  over  with  grass,  moss,  and  sea- 
weed to  form  a  rude  nest,  or  else  directly  on  the  sand  in  the  midst 
of  a  little  heap  of  "drift"  cast  high  up  on  the  beach.  Three  or 
four  eggs,  varying  from  buffy  to  grayish  brown,  and  marked  with 
chocolate,  are  often  taken  from  a  nest  by  the  natives,  who,  with 
the  jaegers  and  the  sea  eagles  that  also  devour  the  young,  are  the 
kittiwakes'  worst  enemies.  Fearlessly  breasting  a  gale  on  the  open 
ocean,  sleeping  with  head  under  wing  while  riding  the  waves, 
the  gull  is  far  more  at  home  at  sea  than  ashore,  and  soon  leaves 
the  nest  to  begin  its  roving  life  at  sea. 

Their  service  to  man,  aside  from  the  gulls'  aesthetic  value,  is  in 
devouring  refuse  that  would  otherwise  wash  ashore  and  pollute 
the  air.  This  is  the  gull  that  the  jaegers,  those  dusky  pirates  of  the 
high  seas,  most  persecute  by  taking  away  its  fish  and  other 
food  to  save  themselves  the  trouble  of  hunting  in  the  legitimate 
way. 

Glaucous    Gull 

(Larus  glaucus) 

Called  also.-  BURGOMASTER;  ICE  GULL 

Length — 28  to  32  inches. 

Male  and  Female— In  summer :  Mantle  over  wings  and  back, 
light  pearl  gray  ;  all  other  parts  pure  white.  Large,  strong, 
wide  bill  which  is  chrome  yellow,  with  orange  red  spot  at 
the  angle.  Legs  and  feet  pale  pink  or  yellowish  pink. 
In  winter:  Light  streaks  of  pale  brownish  gray  on  head  and 
back  of  neck  ;  otherwise  plumage  same  as  summer.  Im- 
mature birds  are  wholly  white,  with  flesh-colored  bills  hav- 
ing black  tips.  Females  are  smaller  than  males. 

Range — Northern  and  Arctic  Oceans  around  the  world;  in  North 
America  from  L'ong  Island  and  the  Great  Lakes  in  winter,  to 
Labrador  and  northward  in  the  nesting  season. 

Season — Irregular  winter  visitor. 

This  very  large  gull,  whose  protective  coloring  indicates  that 
the  snow  and  ice  of  the  circum-polar  regions  are  its  habitual 
surroundings,  occasionally  struggles  down  our  coasts  and  to  the 
Great  Lakes  in  loose  flocks  in  winter,  but  leaves  none  too  good 
a  character  behind  it  on  its  departure  in  the  early  spring.  General 
Greely  met  enormous  numbers  of  burgomasters  in  the  dreary 
desolation  of  ice  at  the  far  north  ;  and  Frederick  Schwatka  tells 

36 


Gulls 

of  great  nesting  colonies  in  the  cliffs  overhanging  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Yukon,  where  the  sound  of  the  rushing  torrent  was 
drowned  by  their  harsh  uproar  as  they  wheeled  about  in  dense 
clouds  high  above  his  head.  The  nest,  which  is  a  very  slight 
affair  of  seaweed,  moss,  or  grass,  contains  two  or  three  stone- 
colored  eggs,  although  sometimes  pale  olive-brown  ones  are 
found,  spotted  and  marked  with  chocolate  and  ashy  gray. 
Many  nests  are  also  made  directly  on  the  ground. 

What  is  reprehensible  in  this  bird's  habits  is  its  tyranny 
over  smaller,  weaker  gulls  and  other  birds  that  it  hunts  down 
like  a  pirate  to  rob  of  their  food  while  they  carry  it  across  the 
waves  or  to  their  nest,  where  the  villain  still  pursues  them  and 
devours  their  young.  Quite  in  keeping  with  such  unholiness 
is  the  burgomaster's  harsh  cry,  variously  written  kuk-lak'  and 
cut-leek',  that  it  raises  incessantly  when  hungry,  and  that  therefore 
must  be  particularly  unpleasant  to  the  kittiwakes,  guillemots,  and 
other  conspicuous  victims  of  its  rapacious  appetite.  When  its 
hunger  is  appeased,  however,  by  fish,  small  birds,  crow-berries, 
carrion,  and  morsels  floating  on  the  sea,  this  gull  is  said  to  be 
inactive  and  silent;  and  certainly  the  starving  hunters  in  the 
Greely  expedition  found  it  sadly  shy. 

The  Iceland  Gull  (Larus  leucopterus)  looks  like  a  small 
edition  of  the  burgomaster,  its  length  being  about  twenty-five 
inches;  but  its  plumage  is  identical  with  that  of  the  larger  bird. 


Great  Black-backed  Gull 

(Larus  marinus) 

Called  also:   SADDLE-BACK;  COBB;  COFFIN  CARRIER 

Length — 29  to  30  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Mantle  over  back  and  wings 
dark  slaty  brown,  almost  black ;  wing  feathers  tipped 
with  white;  rest  of  plumage  white.  Bill  yellow,  red  at 
the  angle.  Feet  and  legs  pinkish.  In  winter:  Similar  to 
summer  dress  except  that  the  white  head  and  neck  are 
streaked  with  grayish.  Immature  birds  are  mottled  brown 
and  white,  the  perfect  plumage  described  above  not  being 
attained  until  the  fourth  year. 

Range — Coasts  of  North  Atlantic.  Nests  from  Nova  Scotia  north- 

37 


Gulls 

ward.     Migrates  in  winter  sometimes  to  South  Carolina  and 
Virginia,  but  regularly  to  Long  Island  and  the  Great  Lakes. 
Season — September  to  April. 


The  black-back  shares  the  distinction  with  the  burgomaster 
of  being  not  only  one  of  the  largest,  most  powerful  representa- 
tives of  its  family,  but  one  of  the  most  tyrannical  and  greedy. 
So  optimistic  a  bird-lover  as  Audubon  said  that  it  is  as  much  the 
tyrant  of  the  sea  fowl  as  the  eagle  is  of  the  land  birds.  Like  the 
eagle  again,  it  is  exceedingly  shy  of  men  and  inaccessible.  "  By 
far  the  wariest  bird  that  I  have  ever  met,"  writes  Brewster.  This 
same  careful  observer  reports  that  he  noted  four  distinct  cries  : 
"a  braying  Ha-ha-ha,  a  deep  keoiv,  heow,  a  short  barking  note, 
and  a  long-drawn  groan,  very  loud  and  decidedly  impressive," 
when  he  studied  it  in  the  island  of  Anticosti. 

Soaring  high  in  the  air  in  great  spirals,  with  majestic  grace 
and  power,  the  saddle-back  still  keeps  a  watchful  eye  on  what 
is  passing  in  the  world  below,  and,  quick  as  a  hawk,  will  come 
swooping  down  to  pounce  upon  some  smaller  gull  or  other  bird 
that  has  just  secured  a  fish  by  patient  toil,  to  suck  the  eggs  in  a 
nest  left  for  the  moment  unguarded,  or  eat  the  young  eider-ducks 
and  willow  grouse  for  which  it  seems  to  have  a  special  fondness; 
though  nothing  either  young  and  tender,  old  and  tough,  fresh  or 
carrion,  goes  amiss  of  its  rapacious  maw.  It  is  a  sea  scavenger 
of  more  than  ordinary  capacity,  and  when  faithfully  playing  in 
this  role  it  lays  us  under  obligation  to  speak  well  of  it.  Certainly 
the  gulls  and  other  sea  fowl  that  eat  refuse  contribute  much  to 
the  healthfulness  of  our  coasts. 

Before  the  onslaughts  of  this  black-backed  freebooter  almost 
all  the  tribe  of  sea  fowl  quail  ;  and  yet,  like  every  other  tyrant,  it 
is  itself  most  cowardly,  for  it  will  desert  even  its  own  young 
rather  than  be  approached  by  man,  who  visits  the  sins  of  the 
father  upon  the  children  by  pickling  them  for  food  when  they  are 
not  taken  in  the  egg  for  boiling. 

Usually  the  nest  is  built  with  hundreds  or  even  thousands  of 
others  on  some  inaccessible  cliff  overhanging  the  sea;  or  it  may 
be  on  an  island,  or  on  the  dunes  near  the  beach,  in  which  latter 
case  it  is  the  merest  depression  in  the  turf,  lined  with  grass  and 
seaweed.  Two  or  three — usually  three — clay-colored  or  buff  eggs, 
rather  evenly  and  boldly  spotted  with  chocolate  brown,  make  a 

38 


Gulls 

clutch.  After  the  nesting  season  these  gulls  migrate  farther  south- 
ward than  the  glaucous  gulls,  not  because  they  are  incapable  of 
withstanding  the  most  intense  cold,  but  because  the  fish  supply 
is  of  course  greater  in  the  open  waters  of  our  coast  With  ma- 
jestic grace  they  skim  along  the  waves,  revealing  the  dark  slate- 
colored  mantle  covering  their  backs  like  a  pall,  for  which  they 
must  bear  the  gruesome  name  of  "Coffin  Carrier." 


American    Herring  Gull 

(Larus  argentatus  smitbsonianus) 

Called  also:   WINTER  GULL 

Length— 24  to  25  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Mantle  over  back  and  wings 
deep  pearl  gray,  also  known  as  "gull  blue  ; "  head,  tail,  and 
under  parts  white.  Outer  feathers  of  wings  chiefly  black, 
with  rounded  white  spots  near  the  tips.  Bill  bright  yellow. 
Feet  and  legs  flesh-colored.  In  winter :  Similar  to  summer 
plumage,  but  with  grayish  streaks  or  blotches  about  the  head 
and  neck.  Bill  less  bright. 

Young — Upper  parts  dull  ashy  brown  ;  head  and  neck  marked 
with  buff,  and  back  and  wings  margined  and  marked  with 
the  same  color  ;  outer  feathers  of  wings  brownish  black, 
lacking  round  white  spots  ;  black  or  brownish  tail  feathers 
gradually  fade  to  white. 

Range — Nests  from  Minnesota  and  New  England  northward, 
especially  about  the  St.  Lawrence,  Nova  Scotia,  Newfound- 
land, and  Labrador.  Winters  from  Bay  of  Fundy  to  West 
Indies  and  Lower  California. 

Season — Winter  resident.     Common  from  November  until  March. 

As  the  English  sparrow  is  to  the  land  birds,  so  is  the  herring 
gull  to  the  sea  fowl — overwhelmingly  predominant  during  the 
winter  in  the  Great  Lakes  and  larger  waterways  of  the  interior, 
just  as  it  is  about  the  docks  of  our  harbors,  along  our  coasts,  and 
very  far  out  at  sea;  for  trustworthy  captains  declare  the  same 
birds  follow  their  ships  from  port  to  port  across  the  ocean. 

Occasionally  at  low  tide  one  may  meet  with  a  few  herring 
gulls  on  the  sand  flats  of  the  beach,  feeding  on  the  smaller  shell 
fish  half  buried  there.  It  is  Audubon,  the  unimpeachable,  who 
relates  how  these  birds,  that  he  so  carefully  studied  in  Labrador 

39 


Gulls 

one  summer,  break  open  the  shells  to  extract  the  mollusks,  by 
carrying  them  up  in  the  air,  then  dropping  them  on  the  rocks. 
"We  saw  one  that  had  met  with  a  very  hard  mussel,"  he 
writes,  ' '  take  it  up  three  times  in  succession  before  it  succeeded  in 
breaking  it  ;  and  I  was  much  pleased  to  see  the  bird  let  it  fall 
each  succeeding  time  from  a  greater  height  than  before." 

Again,  one  may  see  a  flock  of  herring  gulls  "bedded"  on 
the  water  floating  about  to  rest.  All  manner  of  boats  pass  close 
beside  such  a  tired  company  in  New  York  harbor  without  dis- 
turbing it;  for  these  gulls,  unlike  the  glaucous  and  black-backed 
species,  show  little  fear  of  man  or  his  inventions. 

But  it  is  high  in  air,  sailing  on  motionless  wings  in  the  wake 
of  an  ocean  steamer,  that  one  mentally  pictures  the  herring  gull. 
Apparently  the  loose  flock,  floating  idly  about,  have  no  thought 
beyond  the  pure  sport.  Suddenly  one  bird  drops  like  a  shot 
to  the  water's  surface,  spatters  about  with  much  wing-flap- 
ping and  struggle  of  feet,  then,  rising  again  with  a  small  fish  or 
morsel  of  refuse  in  its  grasp,  leads  off  from  a  greedy  horde  of 
envious  companions  in  hot  pursuit  that  likely  as  not  will  over- 
haul him  and  rob  him  of  his  dinner.  Dining  abundantly  and 
often,  rather  than  flying  about  for  idle  pleasure,  is  the  gull's  real 
business  of  life. 

With  all  their  exquisite  poetry  of  motion,  it  must  be  owned 
that  these  birds  have  also  numerous  prosaic  qualities,  exercised 
in  their  capacity  of  scavengers.  Rapacious  feeders,  tyrannical 
to  smaller  birds  that  they  can  rob  of  their  prey,  and  possessed  of 
insatiable  appetites  for  any  food,  whether  fresh  or  putrid,  that 
comes  in  their  reach,  the  gulls  alternately  fascinate  by  their  grace 
and  animation  in  the  marine  picture,  and  repel  by  the  coarseness 
of  their  instincts.  However,  it  is  churlish  to  find  fault  with  the 
scavengers  that  help  so  largely  in  keeping  our  beaches  free  from 
putrifying  rubbish.  Doubtless  the  birds  themselves,  as  their 
name  implies,  would  prefer  herrings  were  they  always  available. 

Unlike  the  other  gulls,  this  one,  where  it  has  been  persist- 
ently robbed,  sometimes  nests  in  trees,  and,  adapting  its  archi- 
tecture to  the  exigencies  of  the  situation,  constructs  a  compactly 
built  and  bulky  home,  often  fifty  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
preferably  in  a  fir  or  other  evergreen.  Ordinarily  a  coarse,  loose 
mat  of  moss,  grasses,  and  seaweed  is  laid  directly  on  the  ground 
or  on  a  rocky  cliff  near  the  sea.  Two  or  three  grayish  olive 

40 


Gulls 

brown,  sometimes  whitish,  eggs,  spotted,  blotched,  and  scrawled 
with  brown,  are  laid  in  June.  In  the  nesting  grounds  the  her- 
ring gulls  are  shy  of  men  and  fierce  in  defending  their  mates  and 
young,  to  whom  they  are  especially  devoted.  Akak,  kakak  they 
scream  or  bark  at  the  intruder,  making  a  din  that  is  fairly  deaf- 
ening. 

Before  the  summer  is  ended  the  baby  gulls  will  have  learned 
to  breast  a  gale,  sleep  with  head  tucked  under  wing  when 
rocked  on  the  cradle  of  the  deep,  and  follow  a  ship  for  the  ref- 
use thrown  overboard,  like  any  veteran.  They  are  the  grayish 
brown  birds  which  one  can  readily  pick  out  in  a  flock  of  adults 
when  they  migrate  to  our  coasts  in  winter. 


Ring-billed  Gull 

(Larus  delawarensis) 

Length — 18.50  to  19.75  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Mantle  over  back  and  wings  light  pearl  color, 
rest  of  plumage  white  except  in  winter,  when  the  head  and 
nape  are  spotted,  not  streaked,  with  grayish  brown.  Wings 
have  "first  primary  black,  with  a  white  spot  near  the  tip, 
the  base  of  the  inner  half  of  the  inner  web  pearl  gray;  on  the 
third  to  sixth  primaries  the  black  decreases  rapidly  and  each 
one  is  tipped  with  white."  (Chapman.)  Bill  light  greenish 
yellow,  chrome  at  the  tip,  and  encircled  with  a  broad  band  of 
black.  Legs  and  feet  dusky  bluish  green.  Immature  birds 
are  mottled  white  and  dusky,  the  dark  tint  varied  with  pale 
buff  prevailing  on  the  upper  parts,  the  white  below.  Tail 
is  dusky,  tipped  with  white  and  pale  gray  at  the  base. 

Range — Distributed  over  North  America,  nests  from  Great 
Lakes  and  New  England  northward,  especially  in  the  St. 
Lawrence  region,  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  Newfoundland; 
more  common  in  the  interior  than  on  the  seacoast;  winters 
south  of  New  England  to  Cuba  and  Central  America. 

Season — Common  winter  visitor. 

"  On  the  whole  the  commonest  species,  both  coastwise  and 
in  the  interior,"  says  Dr.  Elliott  Coues.  Certainly  around  the 
salt  lakes  of  the  plains  and  in  limited  areas  elsewhere  in  the 
west  it  is  most  abundant,  and  at  many  points  along  the  Atlantic 
coast ;  but  off  the  shores  of  the  Middle  and  the  Southern,  if  not 
also  of  the  New  England  States,  it  is  the  herring  gull  that 


Gulls 

seems  to  predominate,  except  here  and  there,  as  at  Washing- 
ton, for  example,  where  the  ring-billed  species  is  locally  very 
common  indeed.  From  Illinois  to  the  Mexican  Gulf  is  also  a 
favorite  winter  resort. 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  tell  one  of  these  two  commonest 
species  from  the  other,  unless  they  are  seen  together,  when  the 
larger  size  of  the  herring  gull  and  the  black  band  around  the 
bill  of  the  ring-billed  gull  are  at  once  apparent.  These  birds 
fraternize  as  readily  as  they  bully  and  rob  their  smaller  relations 
or  each  other  when  hunger  makes  them  desperate.  One  rarely 
sees  a  gull  alone:  usually  a  loose  flock  soars  and  floats  high  in 
the  air,  apparently  idle,  but  in  reality  keeping  their  marvelously 
sharp  eyes  on  the  constant  lookout  for  a  morsel  of  food  in  the 
waters  below.  In  the  nesting  grounds  countless  numbers  oc- 
cupy the  same  cliffs,  and  large  companies  keep  well  together 
during  the  migrations. 

Inasmuch  as  most  of  the  characteristics  of  the  ring-billed 
gull  belong  also  to  the  herring  gull,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
longer  account  of  the  latter  bird  to  save  repetition.  When  liv- 
ing inland  the  ring-billed  gull,  beside  eating  everything  that  its 
larger  kin  devour  with  such  rapacity,  catches  insects  both  on  the 
ground  and  on  the  wing.  A  trick  at  which  it  is  past-master  is 
to  follow  a  school  of  fish  up  the  river,  then,  when  a  fish  leaps 
from  the  water  after  a  passing  insect,  swoop  down  like  a  flash 
and  bear  away  fish,  bug,  and  all. 


Laughing-  Gull 

(Larus  atricilla) 

Called  also:  BLACK-HEADED  GULL;  RISIBLE  GULL 

Length — 16  to  17  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Head  covered  with  a  dark  slate 
brown,  almost  black,  hood,  extending  farther  on  throat  than 
on  nape,  which  is  pure  white  like  the  breast,  tail,  and  under 
parts.  Mantle  over  back  and  wings  dark,  pearl  gray. 
Wings  have  long  feathers,  black,  the  inner  primaries  with 
small  white  tips.  Bill  dark  reddish,  brighter  at  the  end. 
Eyelids  red  on  edge.  Legs  and  feet  dusky  red.  Breast  some- 
times suffused  with  delicate  blush  pink.  In  "winter  :  Similar 
to  summer  plumage,  except  that  the  head  has  lost  its  hood, 
42 


Gulls 

being  white  mixed  with  blackish.  Under  parts  white  with- 
out a  tinge  of  rose.  Bill  and  feet  duller. 

Young — Light  ashy  brown  feathers,  margined  with  whitish  on 
the  upper  parts  ;  forehead  and  under  parts  white,  sometimes 
clouded  with  dark  gray  ;  tail  dark  pearl  gray  with  broad 
band  of  blackish  brown  across  end  ;  primaries  black. 

Range — "Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts  of  the  United  States,  north 
to  Maine  and  Nova  Scotia  ;  south  in  winter  through  West 
Indies,  Mexico  (both  coasts),  Central  America,  and  northern 
South  America  (Atlantic  side),  to  the  Lower  Amazon." 
A.  O.  U. 

Season — Summer  resident,  and  visitor  throughout  the  year. 

No  bird  that  must  lift  up  its  voice  to  drown  the  howlings  of 
the  gale  and  the  pounding,  dashing  surf  in  an  ocean  storm 
might  be  expected  to  have  a  soft,  musical  call;  and  the  gulls,  that 
pass  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  at  sea,  must  therefore  depend 
upon  squalls,  screams,  barks,  and  shrill,  high  notes  that  carry 
long  distances,  to  report  news  back  and  forth  to  members  of  the 
loose  flocks  that  hunt  together  above  the  crest  of  the  waves.  The 
laughing  gull,  however,  utters  a  coarse  scream  in  a  clear,  high 
tone,  like  the  syllables  oh-hah-hah-ah-ah-hah-hah-h-a-a-a-a-ah, 
long  drawn  out  toward  the  end  and  particularly  at  the  last  meas- 
ure, that  differs  from  every  other  bird  note,  "sounding  like  the 
odd  and  excited  laughter  of  an  Indian  squaw,"  says  Langille,  "and 
giving  marked  propriety  to  the  name  of  the  bird."  All  gulls  chat- 
ter among  themselves,  the  noise  rising  sometimes  to  a  deafening 
clamor  when  they  are  disturbed  in  their  nesting  grounds;  but 
the  laughing  gull,  in  addition  to  its  long-drawn,  clear  note  on  a 
high  key,  "  sounding  not  unlike  the  more  excited  call-note  of  the 
domestic  goose,"  suddenly  bursts  out,  to  the  ears  of  superstitious 
sailors,  into  the  laugh  that  seems  malign  and  uncanny. 

A  more  southern  species  than  any  commonly  seen  off  our 
shores,  the  laughing  gull  nests  from  Texas  and  Florida  to 
Maine,  though  it  is  not  a  bird  of  the  interior,  as  the  ring-billed 
species  is,  nor  so  pelagic  as  the  herring  gull.  It  delights  in  reedy, 
bush-grown  salt  marshes  that  yield  a  rich  menu  of  small  mol- 
lusks,  spawn  of  the  king  crab  and  other  crustaceans,  insects, 
worms,  and  refuse  cast  up  by  the  tide.  In  such  a  place  it  also 
nests  in  large  colonies,  forming  with  its  body  a  slight  depression 
in  the  sand  that  is  scantily  lined  with  grasses  and.  weeds  from 
the  beach,  and  concealed  by  a  tussock  of  grasses.  Three  to  five 

43 


Gulls 

eggs,  varying  from  olive  to  greenish  gray  or  dull  white,  pro- 
fusely marked  with  chocolate  brown,  are  not  so  rare  a  find  for 
the  collector  as  the  eggs  of  most  other  gulls  that  nest  in  the  ex- 
treme north,  where  only  the  hardy  explorers  in  search  of  the 
North  Pole  count  themselves  more  fortunate  sometimes  to  find  a 
square  meal  of  gulls'  eggs. 

Formerly  these  laughing  gulls  were  exceedingly  abundant 
all  along  our  coasts.  Nantucket  was  a  favorite  nesting  resort, 
so  were  the  marshes  of  Long  Island  and  New  Jersey;  but  unhap- 
pily a  fashion  for  wearing  gulls'  wings  in  women's  hats  arose, 
and  though  only  the  wings  were  used,  as  one  woman  naively 
protested  when  charged  with  complicity  in  their  slaughter,  the 
birds  have  been  all  but  exterminated  at  the  north.  In  southern 
waters  they  are,  happily,  common  still,  and  will  be  again  at  the 
north  when  the  beneficent  bird  laws  shall  have  had  time  to 
operate. 

Bonaparte's  Gull 

(Larus  Philadelphia) 

Called  also:  ROSY  GULL 

Length — 14  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Head  and  throat  deep  sooty  slate, 
the  hood  not  extending  over  nape  or  sides  of  neck,  which 
are  white  like  the  under  parts  and  tail.  Mantle  over  back 
and  wings  pearl  gray.  Wings  white  and  pearl  gray.  Pri- 
maries of  wings  marked  with  black  and  white.  Bill  black. 
Legs  and  feet  coral  red.  In  nesting  plumage  only,  the  white 
under  parts  are  suffused  with  rosy  pink.  In  winter:  Similar, 
except  that  the  birds  lack  the  dark  hood,  only  the  back  and 
sides  of  the  head  washed  with  grayish;  white  on  top. 

Young — Grayish  washings  on  top  of  head,  nape,  and  ears;  mantle 
over  back  and  wings  varying  from  brownish  gray  to  pearl 
gray;  upper  half  of  wings  grayish  brown;  secondaries 
pearly  gray ;  primaries,  or  longest  feathers,  at  the  end  much 
marked  with  black;  white  tail  has  black  band  a  short 
distance  from  end,  leaving  a  white  edge  showing.  Under- 
neath, white. 

Range — From  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Manitoba  and  beyond  in  the 
interior;  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts.  Nests  north  of  United 
States. 

Season — Common  spring  and  autumn  migrant.  A  few  winter 
north. 


Gulls 

This  exquisite  little  gull,  whose  darting,  skimming  flight  sug- 
gests that  of  the  sea  swallow,  flies  swallow-fashion  over  the 
ploughed  fields  of  the  interior  to  gather  larvae  and  insects,  as  well 
as  over  the  ocean  to  pick  up  bits  of  animal  food,  either  fresh  or 
putrid,  that  float  within  range  of  its  keen,  nervous  glance.  Jerking 
its  head  now  this  way  and  now  that,  suddenly  it  turns  in  its 
graceful  flight  to  swoop  backward  upon  some  particle  passed 
a  second  before.  Nothing  it  craves  for  food  seems  to  escape 
either  the  eyes  or  the  bill  of  this  tireless  little  scavenger.  In 
sudden  freaks  of  flight,  in  agility  and  lightness  of  motion,  it  is 
conspicuous  in  a  family  noted  for  grace  on  the  wing. 

A  front  view  of  Bonaparte's  gull,  as  it  approaches  with  its 
long  pointed  wings  outspread,  would  give  one  the  impression 
that  it  is  a  black-headed  white  bird,  until,  darting  suddenly,  its 
pearly  mantle  is  revealed.  It  is  peculiarly  dainty  whichever  way 
you  look  at  it. 

In  the  author's  note  book  are  constant  memoranda  of  seeing 
these  little  gulls  hunting  in  couples  through  the  surf  on  the 
Florida  coast  one  March.  Mr.  Bradford  Torrey  records  the  same 
observation,  but  adds,  "that  may  have  been  nothing  more  than 
a  coincidence."  Is  it  not  probable  that  these  gulls,  like  all  their 
kin,  in  their  devotion  to  their  mates,  were  already  paired  and 
migrating  toward  their  nesting  grounds  far  to  the  north  ?  While 
the  birds  hunted  along  the  Florida  shore  they  kept  up  a  plaintive, 
shrill,  but  rather  feeble  cry,  that  was  almost  a  whistle,  to  each 
other;  and  if  one  was  delayed  a  moment  by  dipping  into  the 
trough  of  the  wave  for  some  floating  morsel,  it  would  nervously 
hurry  after  its  mate  as  if  unwilling  to  lose  a  second  of  its  com- 
pany. In  the  autumn  migrations,  however,  these  "surf  gulls," 
as  Mr.  Torrey  calls  them,  are  seen  in  large  flocks  along  our  coasts, 
and  inland,  too,  where  there  is  no  surf  for  a  thousand  miles. 

The  nest,  which  is  built  north  of  the  United  States,  is  placed 
sometimes  in  trees,  sometimes  in  stumps,  or  in  bushes,  the  rude 
cradle  of  sticks,  lined  with  grasses,  containing  three  or  four 
grayish  olive  eggs,  spotted  with  brown,  chiefly  at  the  larger  end. 
Such  a  clutch  is  a  rare  find  for  the  collector,  few  scientists,  even, 
having  seen  the  Bonaparte  gulls  at  home.  Charles  Bonaparte, 
Prince  of  Canino,  might  have  left  us  a  complete  life  history  of 
his  namesake,  had  not  European  politics  cut  short  his  happy  and 
profitable  visit  in  America. 

45 


TERNS,  OR  SEA  SWALLOWS 

(Subfamily  Sternince) 

Marsh  Tern 

(GelocMidon  nilotica) 

Called  also:  GULL-BILLED  TERN,  OR  SEA  SWALLOW 

Length — 13  to  15  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Top  and  back  of  head  glossy,  greenish  black ; 
neck  all  around,  and  under  parts,  white;  mantle  over  back 
and  wings,  pearl  gray;  bill  and  feet  black,  the  former  rather 
short  and  stout  for  this  family ;  wings  exceedingly  long  and 
sharp,  each  primary  surpassing  the  next  fully  an  inch  in 
length.  Tail  white,  grayish  in  the  centre,  and  only  slightly 
forked.  In  winter  plumage  similar  to  the  above,  except  that 
the  top  of  head  is  white,  only  a  blackish  space  in  front  of 
eyes ;  grayish  about  the  ears. 

Range — "Nearly  cosmopolitan;  in  North  America  chiefly  along  the 
Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts  of  the  United  States,  breeding  north 
to  southern  New  Jersey,  and  wandering  casually  to  Long 
Island  and  Massachusetts;  in  winter  both  coasts  of  Mexico 
and  Central  America,  and  south  to  Brazil."  A.  O.  U. 

Season — Summer  visitor.    Summer  resident  south  of  Delaware. 

A  very  common  species,  indeed,  off  the  coasts  of  our  south- 
ern States,  this  tern,  which  one  can  distinguish  from  its  relatives 
by  its  heavy  black  bill  and  harsh  voice,  appears  at  least  as  far 
north  as  Long  Island  every  summer,  and  occasionally  a  straggler 
reaches  Maine.  While  allied  very  closely  to  the  gulls,  that  come 
out  of  the  far  north  in  the  winter  to  visit  us,  the  terns  reverse 
the  order  and  come  out  of  the  south  in  summer. 

All  manner  of  beautiful  curves  and  evolutions,  sudden  darts 
and  dives  distinguish  the  flight  of  terns,  which  in  grace  and  airi- 
ness of  motion  no  bird  can  surpass  ;  but  this  gull-billed  tern  is 
particularly  alert  and  swallow-like,  owing  to  its  fondness  for 

46 


Terns 

insects  which  must  be  pursued  and  caught  in  mid-air.  Fish  it 
by  no  means  despises,  only  it  depends  almost  never  for  food 
upon  diving  through  the  water  to  capture  them,  as  others  of  its 
kin  do,  and  almost  entirely  upon  aerial  plunges  after  insects.  For 
this  reason  it  haunts  marsh  lands  and  darts  and  skims  above  the 
tall  reeds  and  sedges,  also  the  home  of  winged  bettles,  moths, 
spiders,  and  aquatic  insects,  dividing  its  time  between  the  wav- 
ing plants  and  the  water  waves  that  comb  the  beach.  It  is  never 
found  far  out  at  sea,  as  the  gulls  are,  though  rarely  far  from  it. 

Like  the  black  tern,  it  is  not  a  beach-nester,  but  resorts  in 
companies  to  its  hunting  grounds  in  the  marshes,  and  breaks 
down  some  of  the  reeds  and  grasses  to  form  what  by  courtesy 
only  could  be  termed  a  nest.  Three  to  five  buffy  white  eggs, 
marked  with  umber  brown  and  blackish,  especially  around  the 
larger  end,  are  usual ;  but  all  terns'  eggs  are  exceedingly  varia- 
ble. Once  Anglica  was  the  specific  name  of  the  gull-billed 
tern ;  but  because  our  English  cousins  liked  the  eggs  for  food, 
and  used  the  wings  for  millinery  purposes,  the  bird  is  now  de- 
plorably rare  in  England. 

"It  utters  a  variety  of  notes,"  says  Mr.  Chamberlain,  "the 
most  common  being  represented  by  the  syllables  hay-wek,  kay- 
wek.  One  note  is  described  as  a  laugh,  and  is  said  to  sound 
like  hay,  hay,  hay." 

Royal  Tern 

(Sterna  maxima) 

Called  also:  CAYENNE  TERN;  GANNET-STRIKER 

Length — 18  to  20  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Top  and  back  of  head  glossy,  greenish  black, 
the  feathers  lengthened  into  a  crest;  mantle  over  back  and 
wings  light  pearl  color;  back  of  neck,  tail,  and  under  parts 
white;  inner  part  of  long  wing  feathers  (except  at  tip) 
white ;  outer  part  of  primaries  and  tip,  slate  color.  Feet  black. 
Bill,  which  is  long  and  pointed,  is  coral  or  orange  red.  Tail 
long  and  forked.  After  the  nesting  season  and  in  winter, 
the  top  of  head  is  simply  streaked  with  black  and  white, 
and  the  bill  grows  paler. 

Range — Warmer  parts  of  North  America  on  east  and  west  coasts, 
rarely  so  far  north  as  New  England  and  the  Great  Lakes. 

Season— Summer  visitor.  Resident  in  Virginia,  and  southward. 

47 


Terns 

It  is  the  larger  Caspian  tern,  measuring  from  twenty  to 
twenty-three  inches,  and  not  the  royal  tern,  that  deserves  to  be 
called  maxima,  however  imposing  the  size  of  the  latter  bird  may 
be,  thanks  to  its  elongated  tail;  but  unless  these  two  birds  may 
be  compared  side  by  side  in  life — a  dim  possibility — it  is  quite 
hopeless  for  the  novice  to  try  to  tell  which  tern  is  before  him. 

Off  the  Gulf  shore,  especially  in  Texas,  Louisiana,  and 
Florida,  where  great  numbers  live,  this  handsome  bird  exer- 
cises its  royal  prerogative  by  robbing  the  fish  out  of  the 
pouch  of  the  pelican,  that  is  no  match,  in  its  slow  flight, 
for  this  dashing  monarch  of  the  air.  But  if  sometimes 
tyrannical,  or  perhaps  only  mischievous,  it  is  also  an  indus- 
trious hunter;  and  with  its  sharp  eyes  fastened  on  the  water, 
and  its  bill  pointed  downward,  mosquito  fashion,  it  skims 
along  above  the  waves,  making  sudden  evolutions  upward, 
then  even  more  sudden,  reckless  dashes  directly  downward, 
and  under  the  water,  to  clutch  its  finny  prey.  With  much  flap- 
ping of  its  long,  pointed  wings  as  it  reappears  in  an  instant 
above  the  surface,  it  mounts  with  labored  effort  into  the  air 
again,  and  is  off  on  its  eager,  buoyant  flight.  There  is  great 
joyousness  about  the  terns  a-wing;  dashing,  rollicking,  aerial 
sprites  they  are,  that  the  Florida  tourists  may  sometimes  see 
tossing  a  fish  into  the  air  just  for  the  fun  of  catching  it  again,  or 
dropping  it  for  another  member  of  the  happy  company  to  catch 
and  toss  again  in  genuine  play.  It  would  even  seem  that  they 
must  have  a  sense  of  humor,  a  very  late  appearing  gift  in  the 
evolution  of  every  race,  scientists  teach ;  and  so  this  lower  form 
of  birds  certainly  cannot  possess  it,  however  much  they  may 
appear  to. 

While  the  terns  take  life  easily  at  all  times,  nursery  duties 
rest  with  special  lightness.  The  royal  species  makes  no  attempt 
to  form  a  nest,  but  drops  from  one  to  four  rather  small,  grayish 
white  eggs  marked  with  chocolate,  directly  on  the  sand  of  the 
beach,  or  at  the  edge  or  a  marshy  lagoon.  As  the  sun's  rays 
furnish  most  of  the  heat  necessary  for  incubation,  the  mother 
bird  confines  her  sitting  chiefly  to  her  natural  bedtime. 


Terns 


Common  Tern 

(Sterna  hirundo) 

Called  also:   WILSON'S    TERN;   SEA   SWALLOW;   SUMMER 
GULL;    MACKEREL  GULL 

Length — 14  to  15  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Whole  top  of  head  velvety  black, 
tinged  with  greenish  and  extending  to  the  lower  level  of 
the  eyes  and  onto  the  nape  of  neck.  Mantle  over  back 
and  wings  pearl  gray.  Throat  white,  but  breast  and  under- 
neath a  lighter  shade  of  gray,  the  characteristic  that  chiefly 
distinguishes  it  from  Forster's  tern,  which  is  pure  white  on 
its  under  parts.  Inner  border  of  inner  web  of  outer  primaries 
white,  except  at  the  tip.  Tail  white,  the  outer  webs  of  the 
outer  feathers  pearl  gray.  Tail  forked  and  moderately  elon- 
gated, but  the  folded  wings  reach  one  or  two  inches  beyond 
it.  Legs  and  feet  orange  red.  Bill,  which  is  as  long  as  head, 
is  bright  coral  about  two-thirds  of  its  length,  a  black  space 
separating  it  from  the  extreme  tip,  which  is  yellow.  In 
-winter:  Similar  to  summer  plumage,  except  that  the  front 
part  of  head  and  under  parts  are  pure  white;  also  that  the 
bill  becomes  mostly  black.  Young  birds  similar  to  adults  in 
winter,  but  with  brownish  wash  or  mottles  on  the  back, 
with  slaty  shoulders  and  shorter  tail. 

Range— "In  North  America,  chiefly  east  of  the  plains,  breeding 
from  the  Arctic  coast,  somewhat  irregularly,  to  Florida, 
Texas,  and  Arizona,  and  wintering  northward  to  Virginia; 
also  coast  of  Lower  California."  A.  O.  U. 

Season — Summer  resident.     May  to  October. 

Ironically  must  this  particularly  beautiful,  graceful  sea  swal- 
low now  be  called  the  common  tern,  for  common  it  scarcely  has 
been,  except  in  the  dry-goods  stores,  since  its  sharply  pointed 
wings,  and  often  its  entire  body  also,  were  thought  by  the  milli- 
ners to  give  style  to  women's  hats.  Great  boxes  full  of  distorted 
terns,  their  bills  at  impossible  angles,  their  wings  and  tails  bunched 
together,  sicken  the  bird-lover  who  strolls  through  the  large  city 
shops  on  "opening  day."  Countless  thousands  of  these  birds 
must  have  been  slaughtered  to  supply  the  demand  of  thoughtless 
women  in  the  last  twenty  years;  and  although  the  egret  has  had 
its  turn  of  persecution,  and  that  in  an  especially  cruel  way,  the 
fashion  for  wearing  terns,  either  entire  or  in  sections,  continues 
4  49 


Terns 

with  a  hopeless  pertinacity  that  no  other  mode  of  hat  trimming 
seems  wholly  to  divert.  Chicken  feathers,  arranged  to  imitate 
them,  are  necessarily  accepted  as  substitutes  more  and  more,  how- 
ever. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Mackay,  of  Nantucket,  the  terns 
are  at  last  protected  on  a  number  of  low,  sandy  islands  adjacent 
to  his  home,  where  nesting  colonies  had  resorted  from  the  earliest 
recollection  until  they  were  all  but  exterminated  by  the  com- 
panies of  men  and  boys  who  sailed  over  from  the  mainland  to 
collect  plumage  and  the  delicately  flavored  eggs.  Muskegat  and 
Penekese  Islands,  off  the  extreme  southeastern  end  of  Massachu- 
setts— the  latter  made  famous  by  Agassiz — and  Gull  Island,  off  the 
Long  Island  coast,  the  only  nesting  grounds  left  these  sea  swal- 
lows in  the  north,  are  now  guarded  by  paid  keepers,  who  see  to 
it  that  no  unfriendly  visitor  sets  foot  on  the  shores  until  the  downy 
chicks  are  able  to  fly  in  September.  It  was  mainly  through  the 
efforts  of  Mr.  William  Dutcher  that  the  terns  were  taken  under  the 
protection  of  the  A.  O.  U.,  the  Linnaean  Society,  and  the  A.  S.  P. 
C.  A.,  at  Gull  Island.  In  May  the  terns  begin  to  arrive  from  the 
south,  having  apparently  mated  on  the  journey.  Little  or  no 
part  of  the  honeymoon  is  spent  in  making  a  nest,  as  any  little 
accumulation  of  drift,  or  the  bare  sand  itself,  will  answer  the 
purpose  of  these  shiftless  merry-makers  that  no  responsibilities 
can  depress  nor  persecution  harden.  Lightness  and  grace  of 
flight,  as  well  as  of  heart,  are  their  certain  characteristics.  Before 
family  cares  divert  them,  in  June,  how  particularly  lively,  dashing, 
impetuous,  exultant,  free,  and  full  of  spirit  they  are!  A  sail  across 
to  the  terns'  nesting  grounds  is  recommended  to  those  summer 
visitors  who  sit  about  on  the  piazzas  complaining  of  ennui  at 
Nantucket,  Martha's  Vineyard,  and  Shelter  Island. 

As  a  boat  approaches  a  nesting  colony  on  one  of  the  few 
low,  sandy  islands  where  one  may  be  still  found,  a  canopy  or 
cloud  of  birds  spreads  overhead — a  surging  mass  of  excited 
creatures,  darting,  diving  in  a  maze  without  plan  or  direction, 
like  a  flurry  of  huge  snowflakes  through  the  summer  sky.  The 
air  fairly  vibrates  with  the  sharp,  rasping  notes  of  alarm  uttered 
in  a  mighty  chorus  of  complaint,  very  different  from  the  almost 
musical  call,  half  melancholy,  half  piping,  that  the  birds  con- 
tinually utter  when  undisturbed.  If  the  visit  be  made  to  the 
island  in  June,  the  upper  beach,  above  the  reach  of  tide,  will  be 

So 


Terns 

scattered  over  here  and  there  with  clutches  of  eggs  that  so  closely 
imitate  the  speckled  sand,  one  is  apt  to  step  on  them  unawares. 
Only  the  slightest  depression,  lined  with  a  wisp  of  grass  or  bit 
of  seaweed,  is  made  in  pretense  of  a  nest;  and  as  the  gay  moth- 
ers leave  the  work  of  incubating  chiefly  to  the  sun,  confining 
themselves  only  at  night  or  during  storms,  the  visitor  may  be  for- 
given if  the  sound  of  a  crushed  shell  under  foot  is  his  first  intima- 
tion of  a  nest  among  the  dried  seaweed  or  beach  grass  among  the 
rocks.  It  was  Audubon  who  said  there  were  never  more  than 
three  eggs  in  a  nest;  but  Mr.  Parkhurst,  at  least,  has  found  four. 

Should  the  visitor  reach  the  island  in  July,  he  will  find  great 
numbers  of  downy  young  chicks  running  about,  but  quite  depend- 
ent on  their  parents  for  grasshoppers,  beetles,  small  fish,  and 
smaller  insects  that  are  the  approved  diet  for  young  terns.  The 
young  are  tame  as  chickens ;  but  the  old  birds  at  this  time  are 
especially  bold  and  resentful  of  intrusion.  Darting  down  to  a 
clamoring  chick,  a  parent  thrusts  a  morsel  down  its  throat  with- 
out alighting,  and  is  off  again  for  more,  and  still  more.  Later 
the  food  is  simply  dropped  for  the  fledglings  to  help  themselves. 
Still  later,  little  broods  are  led  to  the  ocean's  edge,  sand  shoals,  or 
the  marshes,  to  hunt  on  their  own  account;  and  by  September, 
old  and  young  congregate  in  great  groups  to  follow  the  move- 
ment of  the  blue  fish,  that  pursue  the  very  small  fish,  "shiners," 
that  they  also  feed  on. 

But  whether  flirting,  nesting,  hunting,  or  flying  at  leisure, 
there  is  a  refreshing  joyousness  about  the  tern  that  makes  it  a 
delight  to  watch.  In  the  very  excess  of  good  spirits  one  will 
plunge  beneath  the  water  after  a  little  fish,  then  mounting  into 
the  air  again,  it  will  deliberately  drop  it  from  its  bill  for  another 
tern  to  dash  after,  and  the  new  possessor  will  toss  it  to  still 
another  member  of  the  jolly  flock,  and  so  keep  up  the  game  until 
the  fish  is  finally  swallowed.  It  has  been  suggested  that  terns  go 
through  this  performance  to  kill  the  fish,  as  a  cat  plays  with  a 
mouse ;  but  it  is  only  occasionally  they  play  the  game  of  catch 
and  toss,  and  when  all  the  company  seem  to  be  in  the  mood  for 
the  fun. 

Another  beautiful  sight  is  the  pose  of  a  tern  just  before 
alighting,  when,  with  long,  pointed  wings  held  for  a  moment 
high  above  its  back,  they  flutter  like  the  wings  of  a  butterfly. 
But  then  it  would  be  difficult  to  name  a  posture  of  this  graceful 

51 


Terns 

bird  that  is  not  beautiful,  unless  we  except  the  act  of  scratching 
its  head  with  one  foot  while  on  the  wing;  and  this  is,  perhaps, 
more  amusing  than  lovely.  This  sea  swallow  also  has  the 
accomplishment  of  opening  and  shutting  its  tail  like  a  fan,  so  that 
one  moment  it  will  look  like  a  single  pointed  feather,  and  the 
next  it  may  be  narrowly  forked  or  widely  stretched  into  an  open 
triangle.  While  flying,  the  birds  are  exceedingly  watchful,  jerk- 
ing their  heads  now  this  way,  now  that,  with  nervous  quickness, 
all  the  time  keeping  their  "bill  pointing  straight  downward, 
which  makes  them  look  curiously  like  colossal  mosquitoes,"  to 
quote  Dr.  Coues's  famous  comparison.  By  the  middle  of  Octo- 
ber the  terns  migrate  southward  from  the  New  England  and 
Long  Island  waters  to  enjoy  the  perpetual  summer,  of  which 
they  seem  to  be  a  natural  exponent. 


Roseate  Tern 

(Sterna  dougalli) 

Called  also:  PARADISE    TERN 

Length — 14.5010  15. 50  inches. 

Male  and  Female—In  summer:  Mantle  over  back  and  wings  deli- 
cate pearl  color,  lighter  and  fading  to  white  on  the  tail,  which 
is  exceedingly  long  and  deeply  forked.  Feathers  on  crown, 
which  reaches  to  the  eyes  and  the  back  of  neck,  are  black  and 
long.  Under  parts  white,  tinted  with  rose  color.  Long,  slen- 
der black  bill,  reddish  at  the  base  and  yellow  at  the  tip. 
Feet  and  legs  yellowish  red.  In  winter:  Under  parts  pure 
white,  having  lost  the  rose  tint;  forehead  and  cheeks  white. 
Crown  becomes  brownish  black,  mixed  with  white;  some 
brownish  feathers  on  wings;  pearl  gray  tail,  without  extreme 
elongation  or  forking. 

Range — Temperate  and  warm  parts  of  Atlantic  coast,  nesting 
as  far  north  as  New  England;  most  abundant,  however, 
south  of  New  Jersey.  Winters  south  of  United  States. 

Season — Comparatively  rare  summer  resident  at  the  north,  but 
regular. 

Closely  associated  with  the  common  tern  in  their  nesting 
colonies  on  Gull  and  Muskegat  Islands,  described  in  the  preced- 
ing biography,  this  most  exquisite  member  of  all  the  family  may 
be  distinguished  from  its  companions  by  the  very  long  and 

52 


Terns 

sharply  pointed  tail  feathers,  and  the  lovely  rose-colored  flush 
it  wears  on  its  breast  as  a  sort  of  wedding  garment.  This  tint 
is  all  too  transitory,  however;  family  cares  fade  it  to  white; 
death  utterly  destroys  it,  though  it  sometimes  changes  to  a  sal- 
mon shade  as  the  lifeless  body  cools,  before  disappearing  forever. 
Comparatively  short  of  wing,  the  roseate  tern  cannot  be  said  to 
lose  any  of  the  buoyancy  and  grace  of  flight,  the  dash  and  ecstasy 
that  give  to  the  movements  of  all  the  tribe  their  peculiar  fasci- 
nation. 

It  has  been  said  that  these  birds'  eggs  are  paler  than  those 
of  the  common  terns,  which  are  very  variable,  ranging  from 
olive  gray  or  olive  brownish  gray  to  (more  rarely)  whitish  or 
buff,  heavily  marked  with  chocolate ;  but  though  they  may  aver- 
age paler,  many  are  identical  with  those  just  described ;  and  as 
the  birds  nest  in  precisely  the  same  manner,  on  the  same  beach, 
not  even  an  expert  could  correctly  name  the  egg  every  time  with- 
out seeing  the  adult  bird  that  laid  it  identify  its  own. 

A  single  harsh  note,  each,  rises  above  the  din  made  by  the 
common  terns,  and  at  once  identifies  the  voice  of  the  roseate 
species.  It  would  be  unfair  to  attribute  the  melancholy,  unpleas- 
ing  quality  of  the  terns'  voices  to  their  dispositions,  which  we 
have  every  reason  to  suppose  are  particularly  joyous  and  amia- 
ble. This  bird  also  appears  less  excitable;  but  in  all  other  par- 
ticulars than  those  already  noted  the  common  and  the  roseate  terns 
share  the  characteristics  described  in  the  preceding  account,  to 
which  the  reader  is  referred.  It  is  a  gratification  to  know  that  at 
the  close  of  the  first  season,  when  the  tern  colony  had  been  pro- 
tected at  Gull  Island,  Mr.  Dutcher  could  report  an  increase  of 
from  one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  birds,  virtually  an  increase 
of  one  half  the  total  number  in  one  year. 

With  the  four  species  of  tern  that  nest  in  the  neighborhood 
of  New  York  and  New  England,  the  Arctic  Tern  (Sterna  para- 
discea)  has  nearly  all  characteristics  in  common,  and  the  few  pe- 
culiarities that  differentiate  it  from  the  common  tern  are  quickly 
learned.  While  these  birds  are  similar  in  color,  the  Arctic  tern 
"differs  in  having  less  gray  on  the  shaft  part  of  the  inner  web  of 
the  outer  primaries,  in  having  the  tail  somewhat  longer,  the  tarsi 
and  bill  shorter;  while  the  latter,  in  the  adult,  is  generally  without  a 
black  tip."  (Chapman.)  Its  voice  is  shriller,  with  a  rising  inflec- 

53 


Terns 

tion  at  the  end,  and  resembling  the  squeal  of  a  pig;  but  it  also 
has  a  short,  harsh  note  that  can  scarcely  be  distinguished  from 
the  roseate  tern's  cry. 

In  habits  the  Arctic  tern  is  said  to  have  the  doubtful  peculiarity 
of  being  more  bold  in  defense  of  its  young  than  any  of  its  kin ; 
first  in  war,  most  fierce  in  attack,  and  the  last  to  leave  an  intruder. 
At  Muskegat  Island,  where  great  colonies  of  terns  regularly  nest 
and  are  protected  under  the  wing  of  the  law  (see  page  50)  it  is 
usually  the  Arctic  tern  that  dashes  frantically  downward  into  the 
very  face  of  the  visitor  who  dares  to  inspect  its  eggs.  These  are  of 
a  darker  ground  and  more  heavily  marked  than  those  of  the  com- 
mon tern.  Mr.  Chamberlain  says  these  terns  "may  be  seen  sit- 
ting on  a  rock  or  stump,  watching  for  their  prey  in  kingfisher 
fashion.  They  float  buoyantly  on  the  surface,  but  rarely  dive  be- 
neath the  water."  Their  nesting  range  is  from  Massachusetts 
to  the  Arctic  regions ;  and  they  winter  southward  only  to  Vir- 
ginia and  California. 


Least  Tern 

(Sterna  antillarum) 

Called  also:  SILVERY  TERN;  LITTLE  STRIKER 

Length— 9  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Glossy  greenish  black  cap  on  head, 
with  narrow  white  crescent  on  forehead,  and  extending  over 
the  eyes.  Cheeks  black.  Mantle  over  back,  wings,  and  tail, 
pearl  gray.  A  few  outer  wing  feathers,  black.  Under  parts 
satiny  white.  Bill,  about  as  long  as  head,  is  yellow,  tipped 
with  black.  Feet  and  legs,  orange.  Tail  moderately  forked. 
In  -winter:  Top  of  head  white,  with  black  shaft  lines  on 
feathers.  Mantle  darker  than  in  summer;  a  band  of  grayish 
black  along  upper  wing,  and  most  of  the  primaries  black. 
Feet  paler;  bill  black. 

Range— Northern  parts  of  South  America,  up  the  Pacific  coast  to 
California,  and  the  Atlantic  to  Labrador;  also  on  the  larger 
bodies  of  water  inland.  Nests  locally  throughout  its  range. 
Winters  south  of  United  States. 

Season — Irregular  migrant  and  summer  visitor. 

Any  of  the  thirteen  species  of  terns  that  we  may  call  ours  is 
easily  the  superior  of  this  little  bird  in  size;  but  in  grace  and 

54 


Terns 

buoyancy  of  flight,  in  dash  and  impetuosity,  it  certainly  owns 
no  master  among  its  own  accomplished  kin,  and  suggests  the 
movements  of  the  swallow  alone  among  the  land  birds.  Skim- 
ming just  above  the  marshes  near  the  sea  or  inland  waters, 
as  any  swallow  might,  to  feed  upon  the  dragon-flies  and  other 
winged  insects  that  dart  in  and  out  of  the  sedges,  this  little  tern 
flashes  its  silvery  breast  in  the  sunlight,  swallow  fashion,  and 
appears  to  have  the  "sandals  of  lightning  on  its  feet"  and  "soft 
wings  swift  as  thought "  sung  of  by  Shelley. 

Off  the  shores  of  the  low,  sandy  islands  on  the  extreme 
southeastern  coast  of  Massachusetts,  where  these  terns  nest  regu- 
larly, though  in  sadly  decreased  numbers,  they  may  be  seen  in 
company  with  the  common  tern,  the  roseate  and  the  Arctic 
species,  that  also  make  their  summer  home  there,  as  the  joyous 
birds  hunt  in  loose  flocks  together  above  the  waves.  There  can 
be  no  difficulty  in  picking  out  the  dainty,  elegant  little  figure 
that  floats  and  skims  in  mid-air,  with  bill  pointing  downward 
as  if  it  were  a  lance  to  spear  some  tiny  fish  swimming  in  the  ocean 
below. 

Hovering  for  an  instant  on  widely  outstretched  wings,  like 
a  miniature  hawk,  the  next  instant  it  has  suddenly  plunged  after 
its  prey,  to  reappear  with  it  in  its  bill,  since  its  feet  are  too 
webbed  and  weak  to  carry  anything;  and,  if  the  season  be  mid- 
summer, it  will  doubtless  head  straight  for  its  nest  on  the  sand, 
to  drop  its  spoils  in  the  midst  of  a  brood  of  three  or  four  very 
tame  young  fledglings.  In  Minnesota,  Dakota,  and  other  inland 
states,  both  old  and  young  birds  feed  almost  entirely  on  insects. 

All  terns  keep  so  closely  within  the  lines  of  family  traditions 
that  a  description  of  one  member  answers  for  each,  with  a  few 
minor  changes ;  and  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  life  history  of 
the  common  tern  for  fuller  particulars  of  the  least  species,  to 
avoid  constant  repetition.  Although  this  little  bird  nests  directly 
on  the  sand,  leaving  the  greater  part  of  its  incubating  duties  to 
the  sun,  as  other  terns  do,  its  eggs  may  be  easily  distinguished, 
which  is  not  true  of  the  others,  because  of  their  smaller  size  and 
buffy  white,  brittle  shells  that  are  often  wreathed  with  chocolate 
markings  around  the  larger  end,  the  rest  of  the  egg  being  plain. 

Some  one  has  described  the  bird's  voice  as  "a  sharp  squeak, 
much  like  the  cry  of  a  very  young  pig." 


55 


Terns 


Black  Tern 

( '  Hydrocbelidon  nigra  surinamensis) 

Called  also:  SHORT-TAILED    TERN 

Length — 9.50  to  10  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Head,  neck  all  around,  and  under 
parts  jet  black,  except  the  under  tail  coverts,  which  are 
white.  Back,  wings,  and  tail  slate  color.  In  winter:  Very 
different:  forehead,  sides  of  head,  nape,  and  under  parts 
white;  under  wing  coverts  only,  ashy  gray;  back  of  the 
head  mixed  black  and  white;  mantle  over  back,  wings,  and 
tail,  deep  pearl  gray.  Many  feathers  with  white  edges.  In 
the  process  of  molt,  head  and  under  parts  show  black  and 
white  patches.  Immature  specimens  resemble  the  winter 
birds,  except  that  their  upper  parts  are  more  or  less  mixed 
with  brownish,  and  their  sides  washed  with  grayish. 

Range — North  America  at  large,  in  the  interior  and  along  the 
coasts,  but  most  abundant  inland;  nests  from  Kansas  and 
Illinois  northward,  but  not  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 

Season — Irregular  migrant  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Prince 
Edward's  Island  southward.  Common  summer  resident 
inland.  May  to  August  or  September. 

Although  eastern  people  rarely  see  this  dusky  member  of 
a  tribe  they  are  wont  to  think  of  as  having  particularly  deli- 
cate pearl  and  white  plumage,  it  is  the  most  abundant  species  in 
the  west,  and  indeed  the  only  one  of  the  entire  order  of  long- 
winged  swimmers  that  commonly  nests  far  away  from  the  sea 
in  the  United  States.  Early  in  May  it  arrives  in  large  flocks  that 
have  gathered  on  the  way  from  Brazil  and  Chile  to  nest  in  the 
Middle  States,  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  northward.  A  large 
colony  takes  up  its  residence  in  the  fresh-water  marshes  and 
reedy  sloughs  so  abundant  in  southern  Illinois  and  elsewhere  in 
the  middle  west;  and  although  the  birds  have  apparently  mated 
during  the  migration,  if  not  before,  there  are  many  flirtations 
and  petty  jealousies  exhibited  before  family  cares  banish  all  non- 
sense in  June.  Not  that  the  bird  makes  any  effort  to  construct  a 
nest,  in  which  case  it  could  hardly  be  a  tern  at  all,  so  easy-going 
are  all  the  family  in  this  respect;  nor  that  it  is  depressed  by  long, 
patient  sittings  on  the  eggs,  for  the  incubating  is,  for  the  most 
part,  left  to  the  sun,  when  it  shines ;  but  all  terns  are  devoted 

56 


Terns 

parents,  however  emancipated  they  are  from  much  of  the  par- 
ental drudgery.  Sometimes  the  eggs  are  laid  directly  on  the  wet, 
boggy  ground;  others  in  a  saucer-shaped  structure  of  decayed 
reeds  and  other  vegetation,  often  wet  and  floating  about  in  the 
slough ;  and  again  they  have  been  found  in  better  constructed, 
more  compact  cradles,  resting  on  the  flat  foundation  of  the 
home  of  the  water  rat.  The  eggs  are  two  or  three,  grayish 
olive  brown,  sometimes  very  pale  and  clean,  marked  with  spots 
and  splashes  of  many  sizes,  but  chiefly  large  and  bold  masses 
that  have  a  tendency  to  encircle  the  larger  end. 

To  visit  a  marsh  when  several  hundred  of  these  aquatic 
nests  keep  the  cloud  of  dusky  little  parents  in  a  state  of  panic,  is 
to  become  deaf  and  dazed  by  the  terrific  din  of  harsh,  screaming 
cries  uttered  by  the  little  black  birds  that  encircle  one's  head, 
menacing,  darting,  yet  doing  nothing  worse  than  needlessly  tor- 
menting themselves.  Retreat  to  a  good  point  of  vantage  to 
watch  the  colony,  and  it  quickly  regains  its  lost  confidence  to  the 
point  of  ignoring  your  presence;  and  the  jolly  company  skim, 
soar,  hover  on  outstretched  wings,  then  dart  in  and  out  in  a  path- 
less maze  that  fascinates  the  sight.  The  flight  is  exquisite,  swift, 
graceful,  buoyant,  and  apparently  without  the  slightest  effort. 
Occasionally  a  bird  will  descend  from  the  aerial  game,  and,  check- 
ing its  flight  above  its  nest,  poise  for  an  instant  on  quivering 
wings,  held  high  above  its  back,  as  if  it  spurned  the  earth. 

Doubtless  the  diet  of  insects,  which  must  be  pursued  and 
captured  on  the  wing  in  many  cases,  cultivates  much  of  the  dash 
and  impetuosity  so  characteristic  of  this  tern.  Fish  appear  to  form 
no  part  of  its  bill  of  fare.  It  may  "  frequently  be  seen  dashing 
about  in  a  zig-zag  manner,"  writes  Thompson  in  his  "Birds  of 
Manitoba,"  and  "so  swiftly  the  eye  can  offer  no  explanation 
of  its  motive  until  ...  a  large  dragon-fly  is  seen  hang- 
ing from  its  bill."  Beetles,  grasshoppers,  and  aquatic  insects  of 
many  kinds  encourage  other  extraordinary  feats  of  flight.  Mr. 
Thompson  tells  of  meeting  these  birds  far  out  on  the  dry,  open 
plains,  scouring  the  country  for  food  at  a  distance  of  miles  from 
its  nesting  ground.  John  Burroughs  once  had  brought  to  him,  to 
identify,  a  sooty  tern,  a  near  relative  of  the  black  species,  that  a 
farmer  had  picked  up  exhausted  and  emaciated  in  his  meadow, 
fully  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  sea,  and  at  least  two 
thousand  miles  from  the  Florida  Keys,  the  bird's  chosen  habitat. ' 

57 


Terns 

It  had  starved  to  death,  he  says,  "ruined  by  too  much  wing. 
Another  Icarus.  Its  great  power  of  flight  had  made  it  bold  and 
venturesome,  and  had  carried  it  so  far  out  of  its  range  that  it 
starved  before  it  could  return." 

By  the  end  of  July  the  young  black  terns  have  sufficiently 
developed  to  join  the  flocks  of  adults  that  even  thus  early  show 
the  restlessness  called  forth  by  the  instinct  for  migration.  In 
August  migration  commences  in  earnest;  and  when  we  see  the 
birds  east  of  the  Alleghanies,  they  are  usually  on  their  journey 
south,  the  only  time  they  show  a  preference  for  the  Atlantic 
coast. 


SKIMMERS 

(Family  Ryncbopidce) 

Black  Skimmer 

(Rynchops  nigra) 

Called  also:  SCISSOR  BILL;  CUT- WATER 

Length— 16  to  20  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Crown  of  head,  back  of  neck,  and  all  upper 
parts,  glossy  black;  forehead,  sides  of  head  and  neck,  and 
under  parts  white,  the  latter  suffused  with  cream  or  pale 
rose  in  the  nuptial  season.  Lining  of  wings  black.  Broad 
patch  on  wing,  the  tips  of  the  secondaries,  white;  also  the 
outer  tail  feathers,  while  the  inner  ones  are  brownish. 
Lower  half  of  bill,  measuring  from  3.50  to  4.50  inches,  is 
about  one  inch  larger  than  upper  half.  Basal  half  of  bill  car- 
mine; the  rest  black.  Bill  rounded  at  the  ends,  and  com- 
pressed like  the  blade  of  a  knife.  Feet  carmine,  with  black 
claws. 

Range — "  Warmer  parts  of  America,  north  on  the  Atlantic  coast  to 
New  Jersey,  and  casually  to  the  Bay  of  Fundy."  A.  O.  U. 

Season — May  to  September.  Summer  resident  so  far  north  as 
New  Jersey;  a  transient  summer  visitor  beyond. 

Closely  related  as  the  skimmers  are  to  both  gulls  and  terns, 
it  is  small  wonder  the  three  species  constituting  this  distinct 
family  should  be  honored  by  a  separate  classification  on  account 
of  the  extraordinary  bill  that  is  their  chief  characteristic.  ' '  Among 
the  singular  bills  of  birds  that  frequently  excite  our  wonder,"  says 
Dr.  Coues,  "that  of  the  skimmers  is  one  of  the  most  anomalous. 
The  under  mandible  is  much  longer  than  the  upper,  compressed 
like  a  knife-blade;  its  end  is  obtuse;  its  sides  come  abruptly 
together  and  are  completely  soldered;  the  upper  edge  is  as  sharp 
as  the  under,  and  fits  a  groove  in  the  upper  mandible;  the  jaw- 


Skimmers 

bone,  viewed  apart,  looks  like  a  short-handled  pitchfork.  The 
upper  mandible  is  also  compressed,  but  less  so,  nor  is  it  so 
obtuse  at  the  end ;  its  substance  is  nearly  hollow  .  .  .  and 
it  is  freely  movable  by  means  of  an  elastic  hinge  at  the  forehead." 

But  curious  as  the  bill  is  when  one  examines  a  museum 
specimen,  it  becomes  vastly  more  interesting  to  watch  in  active 
use  on  the  Atlantic.  The  black  skimmer,  the  only  one  that  visits 
our  continent,  happily  keeps  close  enough  to  shore  when  hunting 
for  the  small  fish,  shrimps,  and  mollusks  that  high  tide  brings  near, 
for  us  to  observe  its  operations.  With  leisurely,  graceful  flight, 
though  with  frequent  flapping  of  its  very  long  wings,  the  bird 
floats  and  balances  just  over  the  water,  and  as  it  progresses  over 
a  promising  shoal  teeming  with  living  food,  suddenly  the  lower 
half  of  the  bladelike  bill  drops  down  just  below  the  surface  of  the 
water,  and  with  increased  velocity  of  flight  the  bird  literally 
"plows  the  main,"  as  Mr.  Chapman  has  said,  and  receives  a 
rich  harvest  through  the  gaping  entrance.  Thus  cutting  under  or 
grazing  the  surface,  with  the  fore  part  of  its  body  inclined  down- 
ward, the  skimmer  follows  the  plow  into  the  likeliest  feeding 
grounds,  which  are  the  estuaries  of  rivers,  sandy  shoals,  inlets  of 
creeks,  the  salt  marshes,  and  around  the  floating  "drift"  of  the 
beaches.  Though  strictly  maritime,  it  never  ventures  out  on 
mid-ocean  like  the  gulls  and  petrels.  From  Atlantic  City,  Cape 
May,  and  southward  to  Florida,  the  skimmer  is  an  uncommon 
though  likely  enough  sight  to  cause  a  genuine  sensation  when 
discovered  at  work.  It  is  also  credited  with  using  its  bill  as  a 
sort  of  oyster  knife  to  open  mollusks. 

Flocks  of  skimmers  come  out  of  the  tropics  in  May,  and, 
like  the  terns,  choose  a  sandy  shore  for  their  nesting  colony,  and, 
like  the  terns  again,  construct  no  proper  nest  for  the  three  or  four 
buffy  white,  chocolate-marked  eggs  that  are  dropped  on  the  sand, 
high  up  on  the  beach,  among  the  drift  and  shells.  Incubating 
duties  rest  lightly  with  the  skimmers,  also,  while  the  sun  shines 
with  generating  warmth,  so  that  the  natural  bedtime  of  the 
mother  is  all  the  confinement  she  endures  unless  the  weather  be 
stormy.  In  September  the  young  birds  are  able  to  migrate  long 
distances,  although  for  several  weeks  after  they  are  hatched  they 
must  be  fed  and  tended  by  their  parents ;  the  only  use  they  have 
for  their  wings  during  June  and  July,  apparently,  being  to  stretch 
them  while  basking  in  the  sun  ^n  the  beach.  The  voice  of  the 

60 


Skimmers 

skimmer,  like  that  of  the  tern,  is  never  so  harsh  and  strident  as 
during  the  nesting  season. 

It  seems  odd  that  birds  so  long  and  strong  of  wing  as  these 
should  hug  the  coast  so  closely  and  not  venture  out  on  the  open 
seas,  until  we  consider  the  nature  of  their  food  and  the  proba- 
bility of  starvation  in  deep  waters. 


TUBE-NOSED  SWIMMERS 

Shearwaters 
Petrels 


TUBE-NOSED  SWIMMERS 

Shearwaters  and  Petrels 
(Order  Tubinares) 

The  albatrosses,  fulmars,  shearwaters,  and  petrels,  that  com- 
prise this  order  of  water-birds,  live  far  out  on  the  ocean,  touch- 
ing land  only  to  nest,  and  are  unsurpassed  in  powers  of  flight, 
owing  to  the  constant  exercise  of  their  long,  strong,  pointed 
wings.  None  of  our  American  sportsmen  can  wail,  with  Cole- 
ridge's Ancient  Mariner,  that  he  "shot  the  albatross,"  for  the  sev- 
eral species  that  comprise  its  family  (Diomedeidce)  confine  them- 
selves to  the  southern  hemisphere.  The  wandering  albatross,  the 
largest,  of  all  sea  birds,  with  a  wing  expanse  of  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  feet,  and  "Mother  Carey's  chickens,"  the  little  petrels 
that  travellers  on  the  north  Atlantic  frequently  see,  represent  the 
two  extremes  of  size  among  the  pelagic  birds. 

The  plumage  of  birds  of  this  order  is  compact  and  oily, 
to  resist  water,  and  differs  neither  in  the  sexes,  nor  at  different 
seasons,  so  far  as  is  known.  Sooty  black,  grays,  and  white 
predominate.  The  peculiarity  of  nostrils,  tubular  in  form,  and 
nearly  always  horizontal,  divide  the  birds  into  a  distinct  order. 

Shearwaters  and  Petrels 

(Family  Procellariidce) 

"Mother  Carey's  Chickens"  maybe  distinguished  by  their 
small  size,  slight,  elegant  form,  and  graceful,  airy,  flickering  flight, 
as  contrasted  with  the  strong,  swift  flying  of  the  larger  shear- 
waters that  often  sail  with  no  visible  motion  of  the  pinions. 
Birds  of  the  open  £ea,  feeding  on  animal  substances,  particularly 
the  fatty  ones,  they  may  sometimes  be  noticed  in  flocks,  picking 
up  the  refuse  thrown  overboard  from  the  ship's  kitchen,  on  the 
ocean  highway,  like  the  more  common  herring  gull.  They  seem 
4  65 


Tube-nosed  Swimmers 

to  be  ever  on  the  wing,  though  their  webbed  feet  indicate  that 
they  must  be  good  swimmers  when  they  choose.  Hardly  any 
birds  are  less  known  than  all  these  ocean  roamers  and  their  kin 
that  come  to  land  only  to  nest.  The  nest  and  eggs  of  the  com- 
mon shearwater,  that  wanders  over  the  whole  Atlantic  from 
Greenland  to  Cape  Horn  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  that  sailors 
often  see  in  flocks  of  thousands,  have  yet  to  be  discovered. 
Petrels  burrow  holes  in  the  ground  like  bank  swallows. 

Greater  Shearwater. 

Wilson's  Stormy  Petrel. 

Leach's  Petrel. 


66 


SHEARWATERS  AND  PETRELS 

(Family  Procellariidce) 

Greater  Shearwater 

(Puffinus  major) 

Called  also:  HAGDON;  WANDERING  SHEARWATER;  COM- 
MON ATLANTIC  SHEARWATER 

Length— 19  to  20  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  dark  grayish  brown.  The  feath- 
ers, except  when  old,  edged  with  lighter  brown ;  the  wings 
and  tail  darkest ;  lightest  shade  on  neck  ;  the  white  feathers 
of  the  fore  neck  abruptly  marked  off  from  the  dark  feathers 
of  the  crown  and  nape.  Under  parts  white,  shaded  with 
brownish  gray  on  sides ;  under  tail  coverts  ashy  gray ;  upper 
coverts  mostly  white.  Wings  long  and  pointed.  Bill,  which 
is  dark  horn  color,  is  about  as  long  as  head,  and  has  a  strong 
hook  at  the  end.  Legs  and  feet  yellowish  pink  or  flesh  color. 

Range — Over  the  entire  Atlantic  Ocean,  from  Cape  Horn  and 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Arctic  Circle. 

Season — Irregular  visitor  to  our  coast;  abundant  far  off  it  in 
winter. 

Off  the  banks  of  Newfoundland  and  southward,  passengers 
on  the  ocean  liners  sometimes  see  immense  flocks  of  these  birds, 
smaller  than  gulls,  though  larger  than  pigeons,  flying  close  over 
the  waves,  in  a  direct  course,  with  strong  wing  beats,  then  float- 
ing often  half  a  mile  with  no  perceptible  motion  of  the  wings. 
The  stronger  the  gale  blows,  the  more  does  the  shearwater  seem 
to  revel  in  it ;  for  as  the  waves  are  lifted  high  enough  to  curl  over 
in  a  thin  sheet,  allowing  the  light  to  strike  through,  the  tiny  fish 
are  plainly  revealed,  and  quick  as  thought  the  bird  dives  through 
the  combing  crest  to  snap  up  its  prey.  Any  small  particles  of 
animal  food  cast  up  by  the  troubled  waters  are  snatched  at  with 
spirit,  while  with  uninterrupted  flight  the  shearwater  sweeps 

67 


Shearwaters  and  Petrels 

over  the  waves  in  wide  curves,  now  deep  in  the  trough,  now 
high  above  the  great  swells  breaking  into  foam ;  but  always  with 
"its  long,  narrow  wings  set  stiffly  at  right  angles  with  the 
body,"  to  quote  Brewster.  Sir  T.  Browne,  who  was  the  first  to 
speak  of  this  bird  or  its  immediate  kin,  wrote  a  quaint  account 
of  it  which  is  still  preserved  in  the  British  Museum.  "It 
is  a  Sea-fowl,"  he  says,  "which  fishermen  observe  to  resort  to 
their  vessels  in  some  numbers,  swimming  (sic)  swiftly  too  and 
fro,  backward,  forward  and  about  them,  and  doth,  as  it  were, 
radere  aquam,  shear  the  water,  from  whence,  perhaps,  it  had  its 
name."  No  doubt  the  venerable  ornithologist  meant  to  say  skim- 
ming instead  of  swimming,  for  the  shearwater  almost  never 
rests  on  the  water,  except,  as  is  supposed,  after  dark,  to  sleep. 
So  characteristic  is  this  constant  roving  on  the  wing,  that  the 
Turks  around  the  Bosphorus,  where  these  birds  have  penetrated, 
think  they  must  be  animated  by  condemned  human  souls;  hence 
the  name  Ames  damnees  given  the  poor  innocents  by  the  French. 
Indeed,  all  we  know  about  these  birds  is  from  hasty  glances  as  they 
sweep  by  us  at  sea;  for,  although  common  immediately  off  our 
coast  in  winter,  they  are  never  seen  to  alight  on  it;  and  as  for 
either  the  bird's  nest,  eggs,  and  fledglings,  they  are  still  abso- 
lutely unknown  to  scientists.  A  species  that  is  abundant  off 
Australia  burrows  a  hole  in  the  ground  near  the  shore  and 
deposits  one  pure  white  egg  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel,  just  as 
many  petrels  do;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  the  greater 
shearwater  makes  a  similar  nest.  Some  white  eggs  received 
from  Greenland  are  thought  to  belong  to  this  species. 

Wilson's  Stormy  Petrel 

(Oceanites  oceandus) 

Called  also:    MOTHER  CAREY'S    CHICKEN;  DEVIL'S    BIRD 

Length — 7  inches.  Very  long  wings,  with  an  extent  of  16  inches, 
give  appearance  of  greater  size. 

Male  and  Female—  Upper  parts,  wings,  and  tail  sooty  black;  paler 
underneath,  and  grayish  on  wing  coverts.  The  upper  tail 
coverts  and  frequently  the  sides  of  rump  and  base  of  tail, 
white.  Bill  and  feet  black.  Legs  very  long,  and  webs  of 
toes  mostly  yellow.  Tail  square  and  even. 

Range — Atlantic  Ocean,  North  and  South  America,  nesting  in 

68 


WILSONS  PETREL. 
%  Life-size. 


Shearwaters  and  Petrels 

southern    seas    (Kerguelen    Island)  in  February;  afterward 
migrating  northward. 

Season — Common  summer  visitor   off  the   coast   of  the   United 
States. 

This  is  the  little  petrel  most  commonly  seen  off  the  coast  of 
the  United  States  in  summer,  silently  flitting  hither  and  thither 
with  a  company  of  its  fellows  like  a  lot  of  butterflies  in  their 
airy,  hovering  flight.  Owing  to  the  spread  of  their  long  wings 
they  appear  much  larger  than  they  really  are,  for  in  actual  size  the 
birds  are  only  a  trifle  longer  than  the  English  sparrow,  and  look 
like  the  barn  swallow;  yet  these  tiny  atoms  of  the  air  spend  their 
"life  on  the  ocean  wave,"  and  have  "their  home  on  the  rolling 
deep," 

"  O'er  the  deep  !  o'er  the  deep  ! 

Where  the  whale  and  the  shark  and  the  swordfish  sleep — 

Outflying  the  blast  and  the  driving  rain," 

like  the  stormy  petrel  of  the  east  Atlantic  (Procellaria  pela- 
gica),  an  even  smaller  species,  which  doubtless  was  the  bird 
"  Barry  Cornwall "  had  in  mind  when  he  wrote  his  famous  verses. 

Those  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships  are  familiar  with  the 
petrels  that  gather  in  flocks  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel,  coursing 
over  the  waves,  now  down  in  the  trough,  now  up  above  the  crest 
that  threatens  to  break  over  their  tiny  heads;  half  leaping  along 
a  wave,  half  flying  as  their  distended  feet  strike  the  water,  and 
they  bound  upward  again;  darting  swallow-fashion  and  skim- 
ming along  the  surface,  or  flitting  like  a  butterfly  above  the 
refuse  thrown  overboard  from  the  ship's  galley.  "  But  the  most 
singular  peculiarity  of  this  bird,"  to  quote  Wilson,  for  whom  it 
was  named,  "is  its  faculty  of  standing,  and  even  running,  on  the 
surface  of  the  water,  which  it  performs  with  apparent  facility. 
When  any  greasy  matter  is  thrown  overboard,  these  birds  instantly 
collect  around  it,  and  face  to  windward,  with  their  long  wings 
expanded,  and  their  webbed  feet  patting  the  water,  which  the 
lightness  of  their  bodies  and  the  action  of  the  wind  on  their  wings 
enable  them  to  do  with  ease.  In  calm  weather  they  perform  the 
same  manoeuvre  by  keeping  their  wings  just  so  much  in  action 
as  to  prevent  their  feet  from  sinking  below  the  surface."  It  is 
this  appearance  of  walking  on  the  waves,  like  the  Apostle  Peter, 
that  has  caused  his  name  to  be  applied  to  them. 

Particles  of  animal  matter,  particularly  anything  fat  or  oily, 
69 


Shearwaters  and  Petrels 

are  what  the  petrels  are  searching  for  when  they  follow  a  ship ; 
and  seeing  any  such  they  quickly  settle  down  to  enjoy  it,  then 
rising  again,  soon  overtake  a  vessel  under  steam.  Their  wing 
power  is  marvellous,  yet  when  a  gale  is  blowing  in  full  blast 
at  sea,  these  little  birds  are  often  blown  far  inland;  the  capped 
petrel,  for  example,  that  has  its  proper  home  in  Guadeloupe,  in 
the  West  Indies,  having  been  found  in  the  interior  of  New  York 
state  after  a  prolonged  "sou'easter."  The  petrels  swim  little,  if 
any,  though  their  webbed  feet  are  so  admirably  adapted  for  swim- 
ming, which  might  be  a  greater  protection  to  them  than  flying 
when  the  storms  blow.  The  lighthouses  attract  many  to  their 
death  on  the  stern  New  England  coast. 

As  night  approaches  the  birds  show  signs  of  weariness  from 
the  perpetual  exercise;  for  not  only  have  they  kept  pace  with  a 
steamer  through  the  day,  but  they  have  made  innumerable  ex- 
cursions far  from  the  ship,  and  played  from  side  to  side  with  a 
flock  of  companions  at  hide-and-go-seek  or  cross-tag  until  the 
eye  tires  of  watching  them.  But  by  the  time  it  is  dark  the  last 
one  of  the  merry  little  hunters  has  settled  down  upon  the  waves, 
with  head  tucked  under  wing,  to  rest  until  dawn  while  "  rocked 
in  the  cradle  of  the  deep  "  ;  yet  it  is  apparently  the  very  same 
flock  of  birds  that  are  busily  looking  for  breakfast  the  next  morn- 
ing in  the  wake  of  the  ship,  which  they  must  have  overtaken 
with  the  wings  of  Mercury. 

It  would  seem  these  innocent  sea-rovers  might  escape 
persecution  at  the  hands  of  man;  but  an  English  globe-trotter 
tells  of  seeing  not  only  sailors,  but  passengers,  too,  who  ordi- 
narily feel  only  camaraderie  for  other  fellow  travellers  on  a 
lonely  vessel,  shoot  these  tiny  waifs  hovering  about  the  ship, 
to  break  the  tediousness  of  a  long  voyage.  With  the  guilty  con- 
sciences such  sailors  must  have,  it  is  small  wonder  the  petrel  is  a 
bird  of  ill  omen  to  them.  They  claim  it  is  a  harbinger  of  storms, 
like  its  large  relative  the  albatross;  and  it  might  easily  be,  for  it 
delights  in  rough  weather  that  brings  an  abundance  of  food  to  the 
surface.  All  the  gruesome  superstitions  which  sailors  have  clus- 
tered around  the  birds  of  this  entire  family,  in  fact,  were  woven 
by  Coleridge  into  his  "  Rime  of  the  Ancient  Mariner." 

According  to  Briinnich,  the  Faro  Islanders  draw  a  wick 
through  the  body  of  the  petrel,  that  is  oily  from  the  eating  of 
much  fat,  and  burn  the  poor  thing  as  a  lamp. 

70 


Shearwaters  and  Petrels 

Among  the  many  senseless  stories  sailors  tell  of  the  petrel  is 
that  it  never  goes  ashore  to  nest,  but  carries  its  solitary  egg  under 
its  wing  until  hatched.  But  the  members  of  the  Transit  of  Venus 
expedition  in  the  Southern  Ocean,  several  years  ago,  discovered 
a  large  colony  of  these  birds  nesting  on  Kergulen  Island.  Here- 
tofore, ornithologists,  misled  by  Audubon,  had  confounded  the 
nest  of  Wilson's  with  that  of  Leach's  petrel.  Nests  containing 
one  white  egg  each  were  found  in  the  crevices  of  rock  during 
January  and  February.  In  the  latter  month  the  author  has  seen 
the  birds  in  great  numbers  off  the  Azores,  but,  unhappily,  not  on 
them,  for  the  steamer  did  not  stop  there;  however,  it  is  not  un- 
likely they  nest  on  these  islands,  which  would  seem  a  convenient 
rallying  place  for  the  birds  from  the  African  coast  and  those  that 
course  along  the  Western  Atlantic  from  Labrador  to  Patagonia. 
The  -young  birds  are  fed  by  that  disgusting  process  known  as 
regurgitation,  that  is,  raising  the  food  from  the  stomachs  by  the 
parents,  which  Nuttall  says  sounds  like  the  cluttering  of  frogs. 
Baskett  writes  in  his  "Story  of  the  Birds"  :  "The  baby  petrel 
revels  in  the  delights  of  a  cod-liver-oil  diet  from  the  start." 

Ordinarily  quite  silent  birds,  these  petrels  sometimes  call  out 
weet,  weet,  or  a  low  twittering  chirp  that  might  be  written  pe- 
up.  But  it  is  near  its  nest  that  a  bird  is  most  noisy  ;  and  until 
very  recently  the  home  life  of  this  common  petrel  was  absolutely 
unknown. 

Leach's,  the  White-rumped,  or  the  Forked-tailed  Petrel,  as  it  is 
variously  known  (Oceandroma  leucorhoa)  was  the  bird  carefully 
studied  by  Audubon,  but  confused  by  him  with  Wilson's  petrel, 
in  which  mistake  many  ornithologists  followed  him.  In  size  and 
plumage  the  birds  are  almost  identical,  but  the  forked  tail  of 
Leach's  petrel  is  its  distinguishing  mark.  The  outer  tail  feathers 
are  fully  a  half  inch  longer  than  the  middle  pair,  making  the  bird 
look  more  swallow-like  even  than  Wilson's. 

Leach's  petrels,  while  quite  as  common  on  the  Pacific  coast 
as  on  the  Atlantic,  have  their  chief  nesting  sites  in  the  Bay  of 
Fundy,  while  a  few  nest  off  the  coast  of  Maine;  for  it  is  a  more 
northern  species  than  Wilson's,  Virginia  and  California  being  its 
southern  boundaries.  Nevertheless  it  is  by  no  means  so  com- 
mon ©ff  the  coast  of  New  England  and  the  Middle  States,  except 
around  the  lighthouses,  as  Wilson's  petrel,  that  must  migrate 


Shearwaters  and  Petrels 

thousands  of  miles  from  the  Southern  Ocean  to  pass  its  summer 
with  us. 

Audubon  noted  that  these  petrels  were  seldom  seen  about 
their  nesting  sites  during  the  day,  but  seemed  to  have  some 
nocturnal  proclivities;  for  they  approached  the  shore  after  dark, 
and  flew  around  like  so  many  bats  in  the  twilight,  all  the  while 
uttering  a  wild,  plaintive  cry.  But  Chamberlain  claims  that  one  of 
the  birds,  usually  the  male,  sits  on  its  egg  all  day  while  its  mate 
is  out  foraging  at  sea.  "When  handled,"  he  says,  "  these  birds 
emit  from  mouth  and  nostrils  a  small  quantity  of  oil-like  fluid  of 
a  reddish  color  and  pungent,  musk-like  odor.  The  air  at  the 
nesting  site  is  strongly  impregnated  with  this  odor,  and  it  guides 
a  searcher  to  the  nest."  Sailors  have  dubbed  them  with  numer- 
ous vile  names  on  account  of  this  peculiar  means  of  defense. 

A  few  bits  of  sticks  and  grasses  laid  at  the  end  of  a  tunnel 
burrowed  in  the  ground,  at  the  top  of  an  ocean  cliff,  very  much 
as  the  bank  swallow  constructs  its  nest,  make  the  only  home 
these  sea-rovers  know.  Such  a  tunnel  contains  one  egg,  about 
an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  and  marked,  chiefly  around  the 
larger  end,  with  small'  reddish-brown  spots.  In  most  respects 
Leach's  petrel  is  identical  with  Wilson's,  and  the  reader  is  there- 
fore referred  to  the  fuller  account  of  that  bird. 


TOTIPALMATE,  OR  FULLY  WEBBED 
SWIMMERS-. 


Cormorants 


73 


TOTIPALMATE,  OR  FULLY  WEBBED 
SWIMMERS 

(Order  Steganapodes) 

Birds  of  this  order  belong  chiefly  to  tropical  or  sub-tropical 
countries,  and  include  the  tropic  birds,  gannets,  darters,  cor- 
morants, pelicans,  and  man-o'-war  birds,  representatives  of  each 
of  these  seven  families  at  least  touching  our  southern  coast  line, 
although  only  the  cormorant  is  common  enough  north  of  the 
southern  states  to  come  within  the  scope  of  this  book.  The 
characteristic  that  separates  these  birds  into  a  distinct  order  is  the 
complete  webbing  of  all  the  toes;  the  hallux,  or  great  toe,  which 
in  many  water-birds  is  either  rudimentary,  elevated,  or  discon- 
nected from  the  other  webbed  toes,  is  in  these  species  flat  and 
fully  webbed  like  the  rest,  a  characteristic  no  other  birds  have. 

Cormorants 

(Family  Plmlacrocoracidce) 

More  than  half  of  all  the  birds  of  the  order  of  fully  webbed 
swimmers  are  cormorants;  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world;  but  of 
these  we  have  only  one,  commonly  found  in  the  United  States 
around  bodies  of  fresh  water  inland  as  well  as  off  the  Atlantic 
coast.  Cormorants  nest  in  great  colonies  and  are  gregarious  at 
all  times.  The  Chinese  have  turned  their  abnormal  appetite  for 
fish  to  good  account,  by  partly  domesticating  their  common 
species,  putting  a  tight  collar  around  the  bird's  throat  to  prevent 
it  from  swallowing  its  prey,  and  then  sending  it  forth  to  hunt  for 
its  master. 

Birds  of  this  family  are  strong  fliers,  and  although  they  keep 
rather  close  to  the  water  when  fishing,  often  pursuing  their  game 
below  the  surface,  they  fly  high  in  serried  ranks,  a  few  birds  deep, 
but  in  a  long  line,  during  the  migrations. 

75 


Totipalmate,  or  Fully  Webbed  Swimmers 

The  hooked  bill  that  helps  hold  a  slippery  fish  secure;  the 
iridescent  black  and  brown  plumage,  which  is  the  same  in  both 
sexes;  and  certain  special  featherings  of  a  temporary  character 
that  are  worn  during  the  nesting  season  only,  are  among  the 
most  noticeable  characteristics  of  this  family. 
Double-crested  Cormorant. 


CORMORANTS 

(Family  PHalacrocoracidce) 

Double-Crested  Cormorant 

( ' Phalacrocorax  dilophus) 

Called  also  :  SHAG 

5—30  to  32  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Head,  neck,  lower  back,  and  under  parts  glossy, 
iridescent  black,  with  greenish  reflections;  back  and  wings 
light  grayish  brown,  each  feather  edged  with  black.  A  tuft 
of  long,  thin  black  feathers  either  side  of  the  head,  extending 
from  above  the  eyes  to  the  nape  of  neck.  Birds  of  the 
interior  show  some  white  feathers  among  the  black  ones, 
while  Pacific  coast  specimens,  it  is  said  by  Chamberlain, 
wear  wholly  white  wedding  plumes.  Wedge-shaped  black 
tail,  six  inches  long,  is  composed  of  twelve  stiff  feathers. 
Bill  longer  than  head,  and  hooked  at  end.  Naked  space 
around  the  eye;  base  of  bill  and  under  throat  orange.  Legs 
and  feet  black;  all  four  toes  connected  by  webs.  Winter 
birds  lack  the  plumes  on  sides  of  head,  and  show  more 
brownish  tints  in  plumage. 

Range— North  America,  nesting  from  the  Great  Lakes,  Minne- 
sota, Dakota,  and  Nova  Scotia  northward ;  wintering  in  our 
southern  States  south  of  Illinois  and  Virginia. 

Season— Chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  migrant,  except  where 
noted  above. 

Which  of  the  cormorants  it  was  that  the  Greeks  called  phala- 
crocorax,  or  bald  raven,  and  is  responsible  for  the  unpronounce- 
able name  borne  by  the  family  to  this  day,  is  not  now  certain ;  but 
of  the  thirty  species  named  by  scientists,  we  are  at  least  sure  it 
was  not  the  double-crested  cormorant  which  is  peculiar  to 
America.  Some  of  the  Latin  peoples,  thinking  the  bird  sug- 
gests by  its  plumage  and  its  voracious  appetite  a  marine  crow 
(corvus  marinus),  have  given  it  various  titles  from  which  the 

77 


Cormorants 

English  tongue  has  corrupted  first  corvorant,  then  cormorant, 
whose  significance  we  do  not  always  remember. 

Long,  serried  ranks  of  double-crested  cormorants  come  fly- 
ing northward  from  the  Gulf  states  in  April,  and  pass  along  the 
Atlantic  shores  so  high  overhead  that  the  amateur  observer 
guesses  they  are  large  ducks  from  their  habit  of  flight,  not  being 
able  to  distinguish  their  plumage.  In  the  interior  of  the  United 
States,  as  well  as  on  the  coast,  they  make  frequent  breaks  in  the 
long  migration  to  their  northern  nesting  grounds,  when,  if  we 
are  fortunate  enough,  we  may  watch  their  interesting  hunting 
habits.  Flying  low,  or  just  above  the  surface  of  the  water, 
the  cormorant,  suddenly  catching  sight  of  a  fish,  dives  straight 
after  it;  darts  under  water  like  a  flash;  pursues  and  captures  the 
victim,  though  to  do  it,  it  must  sometimes  stay  for  a  long  time 
submerged;  then  reappears  with  the  fish  held  tightly  in  its 
hooked  beak,  from  which  there  is  no  escape.  Before  the  prize  is 
swallowed  it  is  first  tossed  in  the  air,  then  as  it  descends  head 
downward  it  lands  in  the  sack  or  dilatable  skin  of  the  cormo- 
rant's throat,  there  to  remain  in  evidence  from  without  until, 
partly  digested,  it  passes  on  to  the  lower  part  of  the  bird's 
stomach.  After  its  voracious  appetite  has  been  appeased,  the 
cormorant  appears  moody  and  glum. 

On  the  shores  of  inland  waters,  particularly,  the  cormorant 
often  seeks  a  distended  branch  of  some  tree  overhanging  the  lake 
or  river,  to  sit  there,  a  sombre,  meditative  figure,  only  intent  on 
the  fish  below.  In  "  Paradise  Lost, "  after  likening  Satan  to  a  wolf 
preying  upon  lambs  in  the  sheepfold,  Milton  continues  with 
another  simile  : 

"  Thence  up  he  flew,  and  on  the  tree  of  life, 
The  middle  tree,  and  highest  there  that  grew, 
Sat  like  a  cormorant  :  yet  not  true  life 
Thereby  regained,  but  sat  devising  death 
To  them  who  lived." 

In  Milton's  day  it  was  royal  sport  to  go  a-fishing  with  half- 
domesticated,  trained  cormorants.  A  strap  was  fastened  around 
the  bird's  throat  tight  enough  to  keep  it  from  swallowing  its 
legitimate  prey,  but  loose  enough  for  it  to  take  a  full  breath. 
Then  it  was  released  to  furnish  amusement  for  the  royal  company 
assembled  on  the  shore  as  it  darted  like  an  arrow  through  the 
clear  waters,  hunted  the  fish  out  of  their  holes,  pursued,  cap- 

78 


I 


CORMORANTS. 


Cormorants 

tured  them,  and  brought  them  squirming  to  its  master's  feet. 
A  few  English  noblemen  still  divert  themselves  with  this  medi- 
aeval pastime,  according  to  Professor  Alfred  Newton  of  Cam- 
bridge University;  and  it  is  still  in  vogue  among  the  Chinese 
fishermen,  who  find  the  skill  of  the  cormorants  more  profitable 
than  their  own.  Happily  these  birds  are  well  cushioned  with  air 
spaces  just  under  the  skin  to  break  the  shock  when  they  dive 
from  a  height  and  strike  the  water.  The  gluttony  of  a  cormorant 
has  passed  into  a  proverb.  It  will  continue  to  hunt  every  fish  in 
sight,  day  after  day,  for  its  equally  greedy  masters,  that  only  whet 
the  bird's  ravenous  appetite  from  time  to  time,  by  removing  its 
collar  and  allowing  it  to  swallow  an  unenvied  prize. 

In  some  parts  of  the  United  States,  but  chiefly  in  the  Bay  of 
Fundy  and  beyond,  the  double-crested  cormorants  retire  to  nest 
in  large  companies  on  the  ledges  of  cliffs  along  the  sea,  or  in  low 
bushes  or  bushy  trees  inland.  The  nest  consists  of  a  mass  of 
sticks  and  sea-weed,  and  both  it  and  its  vicinity  look  as  if  they 
had  been  spattered  over  with  whitewash,  owing  to  the  bird's 
unclean  habits.  When  the  four  or  six  eggs  are  first  laid,  they 
are  covered  over  with  a  rough,  chalky  deposit  that  is  easily  rubbed 
off,  showing  a  bluish-green  shell  beneath.  The  young,  that  are 
hatched  blind,  have  not  even  down  to  cover  their  inky-black 
skin.  It  takes  fully  two  years  to  perfect  the  beautiful  iridescent 
black  plumage  worn  by  adults.  For  a  time  the  nestlings  are 
fed  with  food  brought  up  from  their  parents'  stomachs;  and  so 
active  is  the  cormorant's  digestion  that  a  fish  caught  by  one  is 
said  to  have  reached  a  stage  fit  for  baby  food  between  the  time  the 
bird  catches  it  in  the  water  and  transports  it  in  its  stomach  to  its 
adjacent  nest.  On  shore  these  birds  rest  in  an  almost  upright 
position,  because  their  legs  are  set  far  back  on  their  bodies,  which 
also  necessitates  using  the  stiff  tail  as  a  prop.  Doubtless  this 
tail,  that  is  used  also  as  a  rudder  or  paddle,  adds  to  the  cormo- 
rant's extraordinary  facility  in  swimming  under  water. 


LAMELLIROSTRAL,  OR  PLATE-BILLED 
SWIMMERS 

Mergansers,  or  Fishing  Ducks 
River  and  Pond  Ducks 
Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 
Geese 
Swans 


81 


LAMELLIROSTRAL,  OR  PLATE-BILLED 
SWIMMERS 

(Order  Anseres) 

MERGANSERS  ;   RIVER  AND   POND   DUCKS  ;  SEA  AND 
BAY  DUCKS;   GEESE;  SWANS 

(Family  Anatidce) 

Five  subfamilies,  numbering  about  two  hundred  species, 
constitute  this  large  family  of  water  fowl  that  in  itself  forms  a 
well-defined  order.  They  are  the  mergansers,  river  ducks,  sea 
ducks,  geese,  and  swans.  All  these  birds  have  the  margins  of 
the  beak  (rostrum)  furnished  with  lamels,  or  plates,  tooth-like 
projections,  fluted  ridges  or  gutters  along  its  sides;  but  the  sub- 
families are  so  well  defined  that  their  peculiarities  would  best  be 
noted  separately. 


Mergansers,  or  Fishing  Ducks 

(Subfamily  Mergince) 

Let  the  young  housekeeper  avoid  any  ducks  with  long,  nar- 
row, rounded,  hooked,  and  saw-toothed  bills ;  for  the  shelldrakes, 
or  sawbills,  as  the  mergansers  are  also  called,  have  rank,  unpala- 
table flesh,  owing  to  their  diet  of  fish,  which  are  pursued  and 
captured  under  water  in  the  manner  practiced  by  loons,  cormo- 
rants, and  other  birds  low  in  the  evolutionary  scale.  Mergan- 
sers live  in  fresh  as  well  as  salt  water. 

American  Merganser  or  Goosander. 

Red-breasted  Merganser. 

Hooded  Merganser. 
83 


Plate-billed  Swimmers 

River  and  Pond  Ducks 

(Subfamily  Anaiince) 

The  hind  toe  of  these  ducks  is  without  a  flap,  or  lobe,  and 
the  front  of  the  foot  is  furnished  with  transverse  scales,  which 
are  the  two  features  of  these  birds  which  have  led  scientists  to 
separate  them  into  a  distinct  subfamily.  But  to  even  the  un- 
trained eye  other  peculiarities  are  also  noticeable.  The  feet  of  these 
ducks  are  smaller  than  those  of  the  sea-ducks,  the  toes  and  their 
webs  naturally  not  being  so  highly  developed,  owing  to  the  calmer 
waters  on  which  they  live;  although  some  few  species  do  associ- 
ate with  their  sea-loving  kin.  They  do  not  dive  to  pursue  food  like 
the  mergansers  and  sea  ducks,  but  nibble  at  the  aquatic  plants  they 
live  among,  and  dabble  with  their  bills  on  the  surface  of  the  water 
for  particles  of  animal  matter;  or,  with  head  immersed  and  tail  in 
air,  probe  the  bottom  of  shallow  waters  for  small  mollusks,  crus- 
taceans, and  roots  of  plants.  Their  bill  acts  as  a  sieve  or  strainer. 
From  the  more  dainty  character  of  their  food,  their  flesh  is  superior. 
These  drakes  undergo  a  double  moult;  generally  the  sexes  are 
distinct  in  color;  the  young  resemble  the  female;  but  the  wing- 
markings,  in  which  a  brilliant  speculum  is  usually  conspicuous, 
are  the  same  in  both  sexes.  When  the  males  are  not  polyga- 
mous, they  devote  themselves  to  one  mate,  leaving  the  entire 
care  of  the  young,  however,  to  her.  The  speed  of  these  ducks 
on  the  wing  has  been  estimated  anywhere  from  one  hundred  to 
a  hundred  and  sixty  miles  an  hour. 

Mallard  Duck. 

Black  or  Dusky  Duck. 

Gadwall,  or  Gray  Duck. 

Baldpate,  or  Widgeon. 

Green-winged  Teal. 

Blue-winged  Teal. 

Shoveler. 

Pin-tail. 

Wood  Duck. 

Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

(Subfamily  Fuligulince) 

The  lobe,  or  web,  hanging  free  on  the  hind  toe  is  the  charac- 
teristic looked  for  by  scientists  to  separate  these  birds  from  the 

84 


Plate-billed  Swimmers 

preceding  group,  the  transverse  scales  on  the  front  of  the  foot 
being  common  to  both  subfamilies.  The  toes  and  webs  of  these 
sea  ducks  are  noticeably  larger  than  those  of  the  river  ducks, 
owing  to  their  greater  exercise;  and  the  feet  are  also  placed  a 
little  farther  back,  which  increases  their  facility  in  diving  and 
swimmiing.  Several  of  the  species  associate  with  the  river 
ducks  in  still  waters,  the  subfamily  not  being  so  exclusively 
maritime  as  its  name  would  imply.  Indeed,  there  seem  to  be 
notable  exceptions  to  almost  every  general  rule  that  might  be 
applied  to  it  except  the  one  that  relates  to  the  formation  of  the  toes. 
It  is  often  said  that  the  flesh  of  sea  ducks,  that  feed  more  on 
mollusks,  crustaceans,  and  other  marine  food,  although  not  on 
fish,  and  less  upon  grain  and  other  vegetable  matter,  is  coarser, 
less  palatable,  and  even  sometimes  inedible;  but  what  of  the  can- 
vasback  duck,  that  peerless  delicacy  of  the  epicure  ? 

Red-headed  Duck. 

Canvasback. 

Greater  Scaup  Duck,  or  Broadbill. 

Lesser  Scaup,  or  Creek  Broadbill. 

Ring-necked  Duck. 

Golden-eye,  or  Whistler. 

Barrow's  Golden-eye. 

Buffle-head,  or  Butter-ball. 

Old  Squaw,  or  South  Southerly. 

Harlequin  Duck. 

American  Eider  Duck. 

King  Eider. 

American  Scoter,  or  Black  Coot. 

White-winged  Scoter. 

$urf  Scoter. 

Ruddy  Duck. 

Geese 

(Subfamily  Anserince) 

Cheeks,  or  lores,  completely  feathered  where  the  swans  are 
naked;  tarsus,  or  lower  part  of  leg,  generally  longer  than  the 
middle  toe  without  the  nail;  scales  on  its  front  rounded  :  these 
are  the  purely  scientific  distinctions  of  the  birds  of  this  sub- 
family. Neck  is  midway  in  length  between  that  of  the  ducks 

85 


Plate-billed  Swimmers 

and  of  the  swans.  Body  is  not  so  flat  as  the  duck's  and  more 
elevated  on  the  longer  legs.  Geese,  that  spend  far  more  time  on 
land,  walk  better  than  ducks,  and  depend  altogether  on  a  vege- 
table diet.  When  we  see  them  tipping,  with  head  immersed  in 
the  water  and  tail  in  air,  they  are  probing  the  bottom  for  roots 
and  seeds  of  plants,  not  for  water  insects  or  mollusks.  In  com- 
mon with  swans  they  resent  intrusion  by  hissing  with  out- 
stretched necks  and  by  striking  with  the  wings.  When  wounded 
on  the  water,  a  goose  dives;  then,  with  only  its  bill  exposed 
above  the  surface,  strikes  out  for  land,  where  it  evidently  feels 
more  at  home.  The  sexes  are  generally  alike  in  plumage,  which 
undergoes  only  one  moult  a  year;  and  both  parents  attend  to  the 
young  as  no  self-respecting  drake  would  do.  A  wedge-shaped 
flock  of  migrating  geese,  with  an  old  gander  in  the  lead  at  the 
point  of  the  V,  old  sportsmen  say,  is  a  familiar  sight  in  the  spring 
and  autumn  skies,  that  echo  with  the  honk,  honk,  or  noisy  cack- 
lings,  coming  from  the  distended  necks  of  the  travellers. 

White-fronted  Goose. 

Snow  Goose. 

Lesser  Snow  Goose. 

Canada,  or  Wild  Goose. 

Brant. 

Black  Brant. 


Swans 

(Subfamily  Cygninix) 

Bare  skin  between  the  eye  and  bill  is  the  scientific  mark  of 
distinction  between  swans  and  geese ;  many  other  points  of  dif- 
ference are  too  well  known  to  mention.  Swans  feed  on  small 
mollusks  in  addition  to  vegetable  matter  which  they  secure  by 
"tipping"  or  by  simply  immersing  their  long,  graceful  necks. 
They  migrate  in  V-shaped  flocks  like  the  geese,  and  often  utter 
loud,  trumpeting  notes  unlike  the  noisy  gabble  of  both  geese 
and  ducks.  Plumage  of  sexes  alike. 

Whistling  Swan. 

Trumpeter  Swan. 


86 


MERGANSERS,  OR  FISHING  DUCKS 

(Subfamily  Mergince) 

American    Merganser 

(Merganser  americanus) 

Called  also:  GOOSANDER;  SHELLDRAKE;  SAW-BILL;  FISH- 
ING DUCK;  DIVING  GOOSE;  BUFF-BREASTED  SHELL- 
DRAKE;  WEASER;  DUN  DIVER. 

Length— 23  to  27  inches. 

Male — Head,  which  is  slightly  crested,  and  upper  neck,  glossy 
greenish  black;  hind  neck,  breast,  and  markings  on  wings, 
white;  underneath  delicately  tinted  with  salmon  buff.  Back 
black,  fading  to  ashy  gray  on  the  lower  part  and  tail.  Wings 
largely  white;  tips  of  the  coverts  white,  forming  a  mirror, 
and  banded  with  black.  Bill  toothed  and  red,  or  nearly  so, 
and  with  black  hook,  and  nostrils  near  the  middle. 

Female  and  Young — Smaller  than  male;  head  and  upper  neck  red- 
dish brown ;  rest  of  upper  parts  and  tail  ashy  gray ;  breast  and 
underneath  white. 

Range — North  America  generally,  nesting  from  Minnesota  north- 
ward, and  wintering  from  New  England,  Illinois,  and  Kansas 
southward  to  southern  States. 

Season — Winter  resident  from  November  to  April. 

A  surprising  number  of  popular  names  have  attached  them- 
selves to  this  large,  handsome  swimmer  that  studiously  avoids 
populated  regions  and  the  sight  of  man;  that  no  sportsman 
would,  or,  indeed  could,  eat;  that  eludes  pursuit  by  some  very 
remarkable  diving  and  swimming  feats,  and  therefore  enjoys 
popularity  in  names  alone.  Its  preferences  are  for  remote  water- 
ways at  the  north,  where  its  family  life  is  spent,  only  a  few  nests 
being  reported  this  side  of  the  Canadian  border;  but  when  a  hard 
crust  of  ice  locks  up  their  fish,  frogs,  mollusks,  and  other  aquatic 
animal  food,  small  companies  of  six  or  eight  mergansers  migrate 

87 


Mergansers 

to  our  lakes,  rivers,  and  the  ocean  shore  to  hunt  there  until 
spring.  Salt  and  fresh  water  are  equally  enjoyed. 

Feeding  appears  to  be  the  chief  object  in  life  of  this  glutton- 
ous bird  that  often  swallows  a  fish  too  large  to  descend  entire 
into  the  stomach,  and  must  remain  in  the  distended  throat  until 
digested  piecemeal.  Its  saw-like  bill  for  holding  slippery  prey, 
and  rough  tongue  covered  with  incurved  projections  like  a  cat's, 
doubtless  help  speed  the  process  of  digestion,  which  is  so  rapid 
as  to  keep  the  bird  in  a  constant  state  of  hunger,  and  drive  it  to 
desperate  rashness  to  secure  its  dinner.  It  will  plunge  beneath  a 
rushing  torrent  after  a  fish,  or  dive  to  great  depths  to  secure  it, 
swimming  under  water  with  long  and  splendidly  powerful,  dex- 
terous strokes  that  soon  overtake  the  fish  in  its  own  element. 
These  feats,  with  the  sudden  dropping  out  of  sight  practiced  so 
artfully  by  the  loons,  make  a  merganser  an  exceedingly  difficult 
mark  for  the  sportsman  to  hit;  and  its  muscular,  tough,  rank 
flesh  offers  no  reward  for  his  efforts.  Usually  these  birds  depend 
upon  the  water  to  escape  danger;  but  when  disturbed  in  a  shallow 
fishing  ground,  a  flock  seems  to  run  along  the  water  for  a  few 
yards,  patting  it  with  their  strongly  webbed  feet,  then  rising  to 
windward,  they  head  off  in  straight,  strong,  and  rapid  flight, 
toward  distant  shelter. 

The  adult  male  in  his  nuptial  dress  is  a  conspicuously  beauti- 
ful fellow,  with  his  dark,  glossy  green  head,  rich  salmon-col- 
ored breast,  and  black  and  white  wings,  set  off  by  a  black  back. 
But  this  attire  is  not  worn  until  maturity,  in  the  second  year;  and 
in  the  intervening  time,  as  well  as  after  the  nesting  season  is  over, 
he  looks  much  like  his  mate  and  their  young.  Birds  whose  upper 
parts  show  the  grayish  brown  that  predominates  when  we  see 
them  in  winter  are  called  "dun  divers"  in  many  sections.  It  is 
the  male  bird  in  spring  plumage  that  the  taxidermist  mounts  to 
decorate  the  walls  of  dining-rooms  and  shooting  lodges. 

Mergansers  build  a  nest  of  leaves,  grasses,  and  moss,  lined 
with  down  from  their  breasts,  in  a  hole  of  a  tree  or  cliff,  where 
from  six  to  ten  creamy-buff  eggs  are  laid  in  June,  and  tended 
exclusively  by  the  mother,  even  after  they  have  evolved  into 
fluffy  ducklings.  At  this  time  the  drake  is  undergoing  a  thorough 
moult. 


88 


Mergansers 


Red-breasted  Merganser 

(Merganser  Serrator) 

Called  also:— SHELLDRAKE;    SAWBILL;    WHISTLER;    PIED 
SHELLDRAKE;  GARBILL 

Length— 22  to  24  inches. 

Male — Head  and  throat  greenish  black;  more  greenish  above,  and 
with  long,  pointed  crest  over  top  of  head  and  nape;  white 
collar  around  neck;  sides  of  lower  neck  and  the  upper  breast 
cinnamon  red,  with  black  streaks;  lower  breast,  underneath, 
and  the  greater  part  of  wings  white;  other  feathers  black. 
Back  black;  lower  back  and  sides  finely  barred  with  black  and 
white;  a  white  patch  of  feathers,  with  black  border,  in  front 
of  wings,  and  two  black  bars  across  them.  Bill  long,  saw- 
toothed,  red,  curved  at  end,  and  with  nostrils  near  the  base; 
eyes  red ;  legs  and  toes  reddish  orange.  * 

Female  and  Young — Similar  to  the  American  merganser.  Head, 
neck,  and  crest  dull,  rusty  brown;  dark  ashy  on  back  and  tail; 
throat  and  under  parts  white,  shaded  with  gray  along  sides; 
white  of  wing  restricted  to  a  patch  (mirror  or  speculum) ;  no 
peculiar  feathers  in  front  of  wing. 

Range — United  States  generally;  nests  from  Illinois  and  Maine 
northward  to  Arctic  regions;  winters  south  of  its  nesting 
limits  to  Cuba. 

Season — Winter  resident  and  visitor;  October  to  April. 

Swift  currents  of  water,  deep  pools  where  the  fish  hide, 
and  foaming  cataracts  where  they  leap,  invite  the  red-breasted 
merganser,  as  they  do  its  larger  American  relative;  for  both  birds 
have  insatiable  appetites,  happily  united  with  marvelous  swim- 
ming and  diving  powers  that  must  be  constantly  exercised  in 
pursuit  of  their  finny  prey.  Fish  they  must  and  will  have,  in 
addition  to  frogs,  little  lizards,  mollusks,  and  small  shell  fish ;  and 
for  such  a  diet  this  fishing  duck  forsakes  its  northern  nesting 
grounds  in  winter,  when  ice  locks  its  larder,  to  hunt  in  the  open 
waters,  salt  or  fresh,  of  the  United  States.  Cold  has  no  terror 
for  these  hardy  creatures;  they  swim  as  nimbly  in  the  icy  water 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  as  in  the  rivers  of  Cuba,  and  disappear 
under  an  ice  cake  with  no  less  readiness  than  they  do  under  lily- 
pads.  Food  is  their  chief  desire;  and  rather  than  let  a  six-inch 
fish  go,  any  merganser  would  choke  in  its  efforts  to  bolt  it. 

89 


Mergansers 

Their  appetite  is  so  voracious  that  often  some  of  their  food  must 
be  disgorged  from  their  distended  crops  before  the  birds  are  able 
to  rise  from  the  water.  An  almost  exclusive  fish  diet,  with  the 
constant  exercise  they  must  keep  up  to  secure  it,  makes  their 
flesh  so  rank  and  tough  that  no  sportsman  thinks  of  shooting 
the  mergansers  for  food;  and  by  sudden,  skilful  dives  the  birds 
are  as  difficult  to  kill  as  the  true  "water  witches."  Only  the 
youngest,  most  inexperienced  housekeeper  thinks  of  buying  any 
saw-billed  duck  in  market;  the  serrated  edges  indicating  that 
the  bill  is  used  as  a  fish  chopper,  and  fish  food  never  makes  flesh 
that  is  acceptable  to  a  fastidious  palate. 

In  the  United  States,  at  least,  the  red-breasted  mergansers 
are  far  more  abundant  than  the  preceding  species,  which  they 
very  closely  resemble  after  the  nuptial  dress  has  been  laid  aside 
for  the  brown  and  gray  winter  plumage.  Males  may  be  distin- 
guished by  the  color  of  their  breasts  at  any  time ;  but  the  females 
and  young  of  both  species  are  most  bewilderingly  similar  at  a 
little  distance.  The  position  of  the  nostril,  near  the  centre  of  the 
American  merganser's  bill,  and  near  the  base  of  the  red-breasted 
species,  is  the  positive  clew  to  identity.  The  latter  bird's  croak  is 
another  aid.  All  mergansers  look  as  if  they  needed  to  have  their 
hair  brushed. 

While  the  construction  of  the  nest  of  these  sometimes  con- 
fused relatives  is  the  same,  the  red-breasted  merganser  makes  its 
cradle  directly  on  the  ground,  among  rocks  or  bushes,  but  never 
far  from  water.  It  is  the  female  that  bears  all  the  burden  of 
hatching  the  creamy  buff  eggs — six  to  twelve — and  of  feeding 
and  training  the  young  brood;  her  gorgeous,  selfish  mate  dis- 
creetly withdrawing  from  her  neighborhood  when  nursery  duties 
commence.  But  the  long-suffering  mother  bird  is  a  perfect  pat- 
tern of  all  the  domestic  virtues.  "I  paddled  after  a  brood  one 
hot  summer's  day,"  says  Chamberlain,  "and  though  several 
times  they  were  almost  within  reach  of  my  landing  net,  they 
eluded  every  effort  to  capture  them.  Throughout  the  chase  the 
mother  kept  close  to  the  young  birds,  and  several  times  swam 
across  the  bow  of  the  canoe  in  her  efforts  to  draw  my  attention 
from  the  brood  and  to  offer  herself  as  a  sacrifice  for  their  escape." 


Mergansers 


Hooded  Merganser 

(Lophodytes  cucullatus) 

Called  also:  HAIRY  HEAD;    WATER  PHEASANT;    HOODED 
SHELLDRAKE 

Length — 17  to  19  inches. 

Male—  Handsome  semicircular  black  crest  with  fan  shaped  patch 
of  white  on  each  side  of  greenish  black  head;  upper  parts 
black,  changing  to  brown  on  lower  back;  lower  fore  neck, 
wing  linings,  and  underneath  white,  finely  waved  with 
brownish  red,  and  dusky  on  sides.  Two  crescent  shaped 
bands  of  black  on  sides  of  breast.  A  white  speculum  or 
mirror  on  wing,  crossed  by  two  black  bars.  Bill  bluish 
black,  with  nostrils  in  basal  half;  eyes  yellow. 

Female— Smaller ;  dark  ashy  brown  above,  minutely  barred  with 
black ;  more  restricted  and  reddish  brown  crest,  lacking  the 
white  fan;  under  parts  white;  sides  grayish  brown. 

Young — Similar  to  female,  but  without  crest;  no  black  and  white 
bars  before  wing;  wings  scarcely  showing  the  white  mirror. 

Range — North  America;  nests  throughout  its  range;  winters  in 
southern  United  States,  also  in  Cuba  and  Mexico. 

Season — Chiefly  a  winter  resident  and  visitor  south  of  the  Great 
Lakes  and  New  England. 

Unlike  the  two  larger  mergansers  that  delight  in  rushing 
torrents  and  in  making  daring  plunges  beneath  them,  this 
strikingly  beautiful  "water  pheasant,"  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
chooses  still  waters,  quiet  lakes  and  mill-ponds  for  a  more  leisurely 
hunt  after  small  fish,  mollusks,  and  water  insects,  adding  to  this 
menu  roots  of  aquatic  plants,  seeds,  and  grain.  It  is  claimed  that 
this  variation  in  the  fish  diet,  and  the  consequent  lack  of  harden- 
ing of  the  muscles,  make  the  merganser's  flesh  edible;  and  in  spite 
of  its  saw-toothed  bill,  the  certain  index  of  rank,  fishy  flesh,  epi- 
cures insist  that  this  is  an  excellent  table  duck ;  but  in  just  what 
state  of  rawness  it  is  most  delicious,  who  but  an  epicure  may  say  ? 

"It  seems  an  undue  strain  on  the  imagination,  not  to  say 
palate,  to  claim  that  any  of  the  fish-eating  ducks  are  edible,"  says 
Mr.  Shields.  ' '  Men  who  kill  everything  they  can  find  in  the  woods, 
in  the  fields,  or  on  the  water,  say  all  mergansers,  coots  and  grebes 
are  good  if  properly  cooked.  When  asked  what  this  proper 
method  of  cooking  is,  they  say  the  birds  should  first  be  par- 

9' 


Mergansers 

boiled  through  two  or  three  waters;  that  they  should  then  be 
well  baked,  stewed,  fricassed,  or  broiled,  and  flavored  with 
rashers  of  bacon  and  onions,  potatoes,  etc.  This  means,  then, 
that  the  bird  should  be  so  treated  as  to  rob  it  of  all  its  original 
quality,  and  to  reduce  it  to  a  condition  simply  of  meat.  A 
hawk,  an  owl,  a  cayote,  a  catfish,  a  German  carp,  or  even  a 
dogfish  may  be  made  edible  by  such  treatment.  If  a  bird  or 
a  fish  is  not  fit  to  eat  without  all  this  manipulation  and  seasoning, 
it  is  not  an  edible  animal  in  the  first  place.  Then  why  kill  it  ?  " 

Like  the  wood  duck,  golden-eye,  bufflehead,  and  its  imme- 
diate kin,  the  hooded  merganser  goes  into  a  hollow  tree  or  stump 
to  build  a  nest  of  grasses,  leaves,  and  moss,  lined  with  down  from 
the  mother's  breast,  and  lays  from  eight  to  ten  buffy  white  eggs. 
Now  is  the  time  that  the  handsome  male  disports  himself  at 
leisure,  and  at  a  distance,  while  the  patient  little  mother  keeps 
the  eggs  warm,  feeds  the  yellowish  nestlings,  carries  them  to  the 
lake  one  by  one  in  her  bill,  as  a  cat  carries  its  kittens ;  teaches 
them  to  swim,  dive,  and  gather  their  own  food,  and  to  fly  by 
midsummer;  defends  them  with  her  life,  if  need  be;  and  wel- 
comes home  the  lazy,  cavalier  father  when  the  drudgeries  are 
ended  and  the  young  are  fully  able  to  join  the  migrating  flocks 
that  begin  to  gather  in  the  Hudson  Bay  region  in  September.  It 
is  she  who  ought  to  wear  the  white  halo  around  her  head  instead 
of  the  drake. 

Sportsmen  often  find  small  companies  of  hooded  mergan- 
zers  in  the  same  lake  with  mallard,  black,  wood,  and  other  ducks 
that,  like  them,  delight  in  woody,  well-watered  interior  districts. 
Mr.  Frank  Chapman  found  them  in  small  ponds  in  the  hum- 
mocks of  Florida;  and  the  author  first  made  their  acquaintance  on 
a  poultry  stand  in  the  French  market  in  New  Orleans. 


RIVER  AND  POND  DUCKS 

(Subfamily  Anatince) 

Mallard  Duck 

(Anas  boscbas) 

Called  also:  WILD  OR  DOMESTIC  DUCK;   GREEN  HEAD 

jS 

Length — 23  inches. 

Male — Head  and  neck  glossy  green  with  white  ring  like  a  collar 
defining  the  dividing  line  from  the  rich  chestnut  breast;  un- 
derneath grayish  white,  finely  marked  with  waving  black 
lines;  back  dark  grayish  brown,  shading  to  black  on  lower 
back  and  tail.  Four  black  upper  feathers  of  tail  curve  back- 
ward; rest  of  tail  white,  black  below.  Speculum  or  wing- 
bar  rich  purple  with  green  reflections  and  bordered  by  black 
and  white.  Bill  greenish  yellow  with  gutters  on  the  side. 

Female — Plumage  generally  dark  brown  varied  with  buff;  breast 
and  underneath  buff,  mottled  with  grayish  brown;  wings 
marked  like  male's. 

Range — Nests  rarely  from  Indiana  and  Iowa  and  chiefly  from 
Labrador  northward;  winters  from  Chesapeake  Bay  and 
Kansas  southward  to  Central  America.  Rare  in  New  Eng- 
land. 

Season — Winter  resident  in  southern  states;  a  transient  visitor 
or  migrant,  during  the  winter  months,  at  the  north. 

Small,  grassy  ponds,  slow-moving  streams,  sloughs,  and 
the  labyrinths  of  lakes  and  rivers  that  are  thickly  grown 
with  wild  rice  and  rushes,  such  as  abound  in  the  interior 
of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  make  the  ideal  resort  of  the 
mallards,  or,  indeed,  of  most  ducks  dear  to  the  sportsman's  heart. 
Here  large  companies  gather  in  August  and  September  when  the 
ripened  grain  invites  them  to  the  feast  they  most  enjoy,  flying  at 
dusk  or  by  night  in  wedge-shaped  battalions  from  their  resting- 
grounds  at  the  far  north,  to  remain  until  the  ice  locks  up  their 
food  and  they  must  shift  their  home  farther  south.  In  Illinois, 

93 


River  and  Pond  Ducks  . 

Minnesota,  Iowa,  and  Indiana,  they  are  among  the  first  ducks  to 
arrive  and  the  last  to  leave  with  the  hardy  scaups  or  bluebills. 
And  in  sheltered  localities  a  few  sometimes  winter,  just  as  a  few 
break  through  traditions  and  nest  in  secluded  spots  in  the  same 
states ;  but  from  Kansas  and  the  Chesapeake  country  southward, 
they  may  be  positively  relied  upon  until  the  time  arrives  for  the 
spring  migration,  however  more  abundant  they  may  be  in  the 
interior  than  along  our  coast.  Let  no  one  imagine  that  because 
some  ducks  are  classified  in  the  books  as  "  river  and  pond,"  and 
others  as  "sea  and  bay  ducks,"  they  are  not  often  found  in  the 
same  places.  It  is  the  lobed  hind  toe  of  the  latter  group  that 
really  differentiates  them,  and  not  always  their  habitats. 

Well  concealed  in  the  tall  sedges  that  literally  drop  food  into 
their  gaping  mouths,  the  mallards  feed  silently  upon  the  ripe 
grain  and  seeds,  dabbling  on  the  surface  of  the  water  or,  suddenly 
tipping  tail  upward  and  stretching  head  downward  in  the  shallow 
waters,  probe  the  muddy  bottom  for  the  small  mollusks,  fish, 
worms,  rootlets,  and  vegetable  matter  they  delight  in.  When  a 
good  mouthful  has  been  taken  in  the  bill  is  closed  tight,  thus 
forcing  out  through  the  gutters  along  the  sides,  that  act  as  strainers, 
the  mud  and  water  that  were  taken  in  with  the  food.  Ripe  corn 
that  has  dropped  in  the  fields  is  a  favorite  cereal.  Fish  and  ani- 
mal substances  form  a  small  fraction  of  the  mallards'  diet;  they 
are  very  near  to  being  vegetarians,  the  fact  that  makes  their  flesh 
so  delicious. 

"  In  the  spring  and  fall  the  Kankakee  region  of  Illinois  and 
Indiana  is  one  of  the  finest  grounds  for  mallards,  teal,  wood- 
duck  and  geese,  to  be  found  in  the  United  States,"  says  Maurice 
Thompson.  "  I  need  not  say  to  the  sportsman  that  the  mallard 
is  the  king's  own  duck  for  the  table.  The  canvasback  does  not 
surpass  it.  I  have  shot  corn-fed  mallards  whose  flesh  was  as 
sweet  as  that  of  a  young  quail,  and  at  the  same  time  as  choice  as 
that  of  the  woodcock." 

Instead  of  becoming  indolent  and  moody  after  a  plentiful 
dinner,  these  ducks  are  uncommonly  lively.  They  jabber  among 
themselves,  spatter  the  water  freely,  half  fly,  half  run  along  the 
surface  of  the  lake,  and  are  positively  playful  so  long  as  the  leader 
of  the  sport,  that  is  on  the  constant  lookout,  gives  no  sign  of 
warning.  One  might  think  they  were  mad,  but  often  their  frantic 
antics  indicate  that  insects  are  troubling  them,  and  all  their  splut- 

94 


, 


' 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

tertng  and  diving  is  done  to  get  rid  of  the  pests.  Mallards  dive 
and  swim  under  water  also  to  escape  danger,  but  rarely  to 
collect  food.  During  the  day  they  make  many  bold  excursions 
to  the  centre  of  the  lake  and  explore  the  inlets  and  indentations 
of  the  shore.  On  the  first  quack  of  alarm,  however,  up  bounds 
the  entire  flock  and,  rising  obliquely  to  a  good  height,  their  stif- 
fened wings  whistling  through  the  wind,  off  they  fly  at  a  speed 
no  locomotive  can  match.  Perhaps  the  reason  for  most  misses 
of  the  amateur  hunter  is  his  inability  to  conceive  the  rate  at 
which  ducks  move,  and  so  to  hold  far  enough  ahead  of  the 
bird  he  has  selected.  Mallards  waste  no  time  sailing,  but  after 
climbing  the  skj  on  throbbing  wings  they  continue  to  flap  them 
constantly.  Before  alighting  it  is  their  habit  to  wheel  round  and 
round  a  feeding-ground  to  assure  themselves  no  danger  lurks 
in  ambush.  They  are  conspicuous  sufferers  from  the  duck- 
hawk,  whose  marvelous  flight  so  far  excels  even  theirs  that  es- 
cape is  hopeless  in  a  long  race  unless  the  duck  should  be  flying 
over  water,  into  which  a  sudden  plunge  and  a  long  swim  under 
the  surface  to  a  sheltered  corner  in  the  sedges,  frees  it  from  the 
persecutor  that  lives  by  tearing  the  flesh  from  the  breasts  of  hun- 
dreds of  such  victims  every  year. 

Wary  as  these  ducks  are,  they  are  also  eminently  inquisitive, 
or  the  painted,  wooden  decoys  of  dingy  little  females,  gay  ban- 
dana handkerchiefs  fluttering  from  poles,  that  are  used  in 
the  south  to  excite  their  curiosity,  and  other  time-honored  tricks 
of  sportsmen  would  never  have  been  crowned  with  success. 
The  mallards  are  also  exceedingly  shy,  and  feel  at  greatest  ease 
and  liberty  when  the  dusk  of  evening  and  dawn  covers  their 
feeding-grounds  and  conceals  their  flight  that  is  often  suspected 
solely  by  the  whistling  of  their  wings  through  the  darkness  over- 
head. Their  loud  quack,  quack,  exactly  like  that  of  the  domestic 
duck,  resounds  cheerfully  in  the  spring  and  autumn  migrations. 

To  see  the  endearments  and  little  gallantries  the  handsome 
drake  bestows  on  his  mate  in  spring,  no  one  would  sus- 
pect him  of  total  indifference  to  her  later.  Waterton  and  other 
writers  claim  that  the  wild  mallard  is  not  only  strictly  monoga- 
mous, but  remains  paired  for  life.  Perhaps  polygamy  cannot  be 
fairly  charged  against  him,  however  suspicious  his  indifference 
to  his  mate  and  ducklings  appears.  Many  ornithologists  claim 
that  he  is  positively  unable  to  help  his  mate  and  young,  owing 

95 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

to  the  extra  molt  his  plumage  undergoes  at  the  end  of  June, 
when  he  actually  loses  the  power  of  flight  for  a  time  and  does 
not  regain  his  beautiful  full  plumage  until  the  autumn.  But  cer- 
tainly the  character  of  the  domesticated  mallard  must  have  sadly 
deteriorated,  if  this  is  so,  for  in  the  barn-yard,  at  least,  he  is  a 
veritable  Mormon. 

In  a  nest  lined  with  down  from  her  breast,  and  made  of  hay, 
leaves,  or  any  material  that  can  be  scraped  together  on  the  ground, 
near  the  water  or  in  a  bushy  field  back  from  it,  the  mother  con- 
fines herself  for  twenty-eight  days.  It  is  then  her  gay  cavalier 
goes  off  to  his  club,  or  its  equivalent,  with  other  like-minded 
pleasure-seekers,  while  she  bears  the  full  burden  of  the  house- 
hold. Very  seldom  does  she  leave  the  pale  bluish  or  greenish 
gray  eggs — six  to  a  dozen — to  get  food  and  a  brief  swim  in  the 
lake  ;  and  she  is  careful  to  pull  the  down  coverlet  well  over  the 
eggs  to  retain  their  heat  during  her  outings.  As  her  incubating 
duties  near  their  end,  she  usually  does  not  stir  from  the  nest  at 
all.  There  are  some  few  records  of  nests  made  in  trees.  If  the 
nest  is  near  the  water,  on  the  ground,  the  young  ones  instantly 
make  for  it  when  they  leave  the  shell;  but  being  unable  to  walk 
well  at  first,  the  overworked  mother  must  carry  them  to  it  in  her 
bill,  it  is  said,  if  the  nest  is  far  back  on  a  bank.  Many  pathetic 
stories  are  in  circulation,  showing  the  mother's  total  self-forgetful- 
ness  and  voluntary  offering  of  her  own  life  to  protect  the  downy 
brood.  Water-rats  and  large  pike,  that  eat  her  babies  when  they 
make  their  earliest  dives,  are  the  worst  enemies  she  has  to  fear 
until  they  are  able  to  fly,  some  six  weeks  or  more  after  hatching, 
and  the  duck-hawk  finds  them  easy  prey. 

The  mallard  is  by  far  the  most  important  species  we  have, 
as  it  is  the  most  plentiful,  the  most  widely  distributed,  and  the 
best  known,  being  the  ancestor  of  the  common  domestic  duck  ; 
and  although  many  of  its  habits  have  undergone  a  change  in  the 
poultry-yards,  others  may  still  be  profitably  studied  there  by 
those  unable  to  reach  the  inaccessible  sloughs,  bayous,  and 
lagoons  where  the  wild  ducks  hide. 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Black  Duck 

(Anas  obscura) 

Called  also:  DUSKY  DUCK;    DUSKY  MALLARD 

Length — 22  to  23  inches;  same  size  as  the  mallard. 

Male  and  Female — Resembling  the  female  mallard,  but  darker  and 
without  white  anywhere  except  on  the  wing  linings;  violet 
blue  patch  or  speculum  on  wings  bordered  by  black — a  fine 
white  line  on  that  of  male  only.  General  plumage  dusky 
brown,  not  black,  lighter  underneath  than  on  upper  parts,  the 
feathers  edged  with  rusty  brown.  Top  of  head  rich,  dark 
ashy  brown,  slightly  streaked  with  buff;  sides  of  head  and 
throat  pale  buff,  thickly  streaked  with  black.  Female  paler 
yellow.  Bill  greenish.  Feet  red. 

Range — "  Eastern  North  America,  west  to  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
north  to  Labrador,  breeding  southward  to  the  northern  parts 
of  the  United  States."— A.  O.  U. 

Season — Resident  in  the  United  States,  where  it  nests;  also  winter 
resident,  from  September  to  May ;  most  abundant  in  spring 
and  autumn  migrations. 

In  New  England  and  along  the  Atlantic  States,  where  the 
mallard  is  scarce,  the  black  duck  (which  is  not  black  but  a 
dusky  brown),  replaces  it  in  the  salt-creeks  and  marshes  as  well 
as  on  the  inland  rivers,  lakes,  and  ponds;  and  even  the  sea  itself 
is  sometimes  sought  as  an  asylum  from  the  gunners.  Not  all 
river  and  pond  ducks  confine  themselves  to  the  habitats  laid 
down  for  them  in  the  books.  Black  ducks,  when  persistently 
hunted,  frequently  spend  their  days  on  the  ocean,  returning  to 
their  favorite  lakes  and  marshes  under  cover  of  darkness — for 
they  are  exceedingly  shy  and  wary — to  feed  upon  the  seeds  of 
sedges,  corn  in  the  farmer's  fields,  the  roots  and  foliage  of  aquatic 
plants,  and  other  vegetable  diet,  which  is  responsible  for  the 
delicious  quality  of  their  flesh,  so  eagerly  sought  after. 

Brush-houses  thatched  with  sedges,  that  are  set  up  in  the 
duck's  feeding-grounds  by  hunters,  may  not  be  distinguished 
from  the  growing  plants  in  the  twilight  or  early  dawn  ;  wooden 
decoys  easily  deceive  the  inquisitive  birds ;  live  domestic  ducks 
tied  by  the  leg  to  the  shore,  though  apparently  free  to  swim  at 
large,  lure  the  wild  ones  near  the  gunners  in  ambush,  and  numer- 
ous other  devices,  long  in  vogue  among  men  who  spare  them- 
selves the  fatigue  of  walking  through  the  sedges  to  flush  their 

97 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

victims,  help  pile  the  poultry  stalls  of  our  city  markets  just  as 
soon  as  the  law  allows  in  autumn.  In  the  early  spring,  when 
the  law  is  still  "open"  and  should  be  closed,  housekeepers  find 
eggs  already  well  formed  in  this  and  other  game  birds  brought  to 
their  kitchens.  Of  all  the  wild  fowl  that  enter  the  United  States, 
this  duck,  it  is  said,  possesses  the  greatest  economic  value,  which 
should  be  a  sufficient  reason,  if  no  higher  motive  prompted,  to 
give  it  the  fullest  protection.  While  the  nesting  season  is  from 
the  last  of  April  to  the  early  part  of  June,  the  birds  have  mated 
many  weeks  before.  They  are  the  spring  laws  that  need  serious 
going  over  by  our  legislators. 

So  closely  resembling  the  mallard  in  habits  that  an  account 
of  them  need  not  be  repeated  here,  the  black  duck  is  not  so  com- 
mon in  the  interior  nor  in  the  south,  for  it  was  the  Florida  duck 
that  early  ornithologists  confounded  with  this  species,  which, 
they  claimed,  had  the  phenomenal  nesting  range  extending  from 
Labrador  to  the  Gulf.  Illinois  and  New  Jersey  are  as  far  south  as 
its  nests  have  been  found.  The  black  duck,  that  seems  to  have 
a  more  hardy  constitution  than  many  of  its  kin,  stays  around  our 
larger  ponds  long  after  the  ice  has  formed,  and  where  springs 
keep  open  pools,  it  is  not  infrequently  met  with  all  through  a 
mild  winter. 

Gadwall 

(Anas  strepera) 

Called  also:   GRAY    DUCK 

Length — 20  to  22  inches. 

Male — Upper  parts  have  general  appearance  of  brownish  gray, 
waved  and  marked  with  crescent-shaped  white  an.d  blackish 
bars.  Top  of  head  streaked  with  black  or  reddish  brown; 
sides  of  head  and  neck  pale  buff  brown,  mottled  with 
darker;  lower  neck  and  breast  black  or  very  dark  gray,  each 
feather  marked  with  white  and  resembling  scales  ;  grayish 
and  white  underneath,  minutely  lined  with  gray  waves; 
lower  back  dusky,  changing  to  black  on  tail  coverts;  space 
under  tail  black.  Wings  chestnut  brown,  gray,  and  black, 
with  white  patch  framed  in  velvety  black  and  chestnut. 
Wing-linings  white.  Bill  lead  color.  Feet  orange. 

female — Smaller  than  male  and  darker.  Head  and  throat  like 
male's;  back  dark  grayish  brown,  the  feathers  edged  with 
98 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

buff;  breast  and  sides  buff,  thickly  spotted  with  black, 
but  the  female  throughout  lacks  the  beautiful  waves,  scales, 
and  crescent-shaped  marks  that  adorn  her  mate.  Under- 
neath, including  under  tail-coverts  and  wing-linings,  white. 
Little  or  no  chestnut  on  wings  ;  speculum  or  wing-patch 
white  and  gray.  Bill  dusky,  blotched  with  orange.  Imma- 
ture birds  resemble  the  mother. 

Range — Cosmopolitan ;  nests  in  North  America,  from  the  middle 
states  northward  to  the  fur  countries,  but  chiefly  within 
United  States  limits.  Most  abundant  in  Mississippi  Valley 
region  and  west;  also  northward  to  the  Saskatchewan. 

Season — Winter  resident  south  of  Virginia  and  southern  Illinois; 
winter  visitor,  most  abundant  in  spring  and  autumn  migra- 
tions, north  of  Washington. 

This  beautiful  species,  first  discovered  by  Wilson,  on  the 
shores  of  Seneca  Lake,  New  York,  keeps  close  by  fresh  water, 
showing  no  liking  whatever  for  the  sea  as  the  black  duck  does. 
In  the  Atlantic  states  the  gadwall  is  rare,  except  as  a  migratory 
visitor  inland,  while  in  the  sloughs  of  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
Florida,  and  the  Gulf  states,  it  is  abundant  in  favored  spots  that 
other  ducks  frequent  when  the  wild  rice  and  field-corn  ripen,  and 
that  local  sportsmen  also  revel  in.  The  gadwall's  flesh  is  par- 
ticularly fine;  its  mixed  diet  of  grain  and  small  aquatic  animal 
food  imparting  a  gamy  flavor  to  it  that  epicures  appreciate. 

As  this  duck  is  very  shy  and  full  of  fear,  it  dozes  most  of  its 
time  away  when  the  sun  is  high,  securely  hidden  in  the  tall 
sedges  that  line  the  marshy  lake  or  quiet  stream ;  and  emerging 
at  twilight  to  feed,  to  disport  itself  with  its  companions,  to  lift 
up  its  voice  in  happy  bubblings  and  quacks,  to  fly  from  lake  to 
lake  in  wedge-shaped  companies,  it  pursues,  under  cover  of  par- 
tial or  even  total  darkness,  the  round  of  pleasures  and  duties  cus- 
tomary among  all  the  duck  tribe.  In  nesting  and  other  habits  as 
well,  the  gadwall  so  closely  resembles  the  mallard  that  a  de- 
scription of  them  would  be  merely  a  repetition.  Even  its  voice 
is  very  like  the  mallard's,  although  the  quack  is  more  frequently 
repeated;  but  Gesner  must  have  discovered  some  unusually 
shrill,  high-pitched  notes  in  it  when  he  added  strepera  to  the 
bird's  name. 


99 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Baldpate 

(Anas  americana) 

Called  also:  AMERICAN   WIDGEON 

Length — 18  to  20  inches. 

Male — Crown  of  head  white  or  buff;  sides  of  head,  from  the  eye 
to  the  nape,  have  broad  band  of  glossy  green,  more  or 
less  sprinkled  with  black;  cheeks  and  throat  buff,  marked 
with  fine  lines  and  bars  of  black ;  upper  breast  and  sides  light 
reddish,  violet  brown  (vinaceous),  each  feather  with  grayish 
edge  forming  bars  across  breast.  More  grayish  sides  are 
finely  waved  with  black;  lower  parts  and  wing-linings 
white ;  black  under  tail.  Back  grayish  brown,  more  or  less 
tinged  with  the  same  color  as  breast,  and  finely  marked  with 
black.  Wings  have  glossy  green  patch  bordered  by  velvety 
black.  Bill  grayish  blue  with  black  tip.  Feet  and  legs 
dusky. 

Female — Smaller.  Head  and  throat  white  or  cream,  finely  barred 
with  black  and  without  green  bands;  darker  above;  upper 
breast  and  sides  pale  violet,  reddish  brown  washed  with 
grayish,  interrupted  with  whitish  or  gray  bars.  Wings  like 
male's,  though  the  speculum  may  be  indistinct  and  gray  re- 
place the  white;  back  grayish  brown,  the  feathers  barred 
with  buff. 

Range — North  America;  nests  regularly  from  Minnesota  north- 
ward, and  casually  as  far  as  Texas,  but  not  on  the  Atlantic 
coast.  Winters  in  the  United  States,  from  southern  states 
to  the  Gulf;  also  in  Guatemala,  Cuba,  and  northern  South 
America. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  visitor,  and  winter  resident,  October 
to  April. 

The  baldpates,  keeping  just  in  advance  of  the  teeth  of  winter 
with  the  large  army  of  other  ducks  that  come  flying  out  of  the 
north  in  wedge-shaped  battalions  when  the  first  ice  begins  to 
form,  break  their  long  journey  to  the  Gulf  states  and  the  tropics 
by  a  prolonged  feast  in  the  wild  rice,  sedges,  and  celery  in  north- 
ern waters,  both  inland  and  along  the  coast.  A  warm  reception 
of  hot  shot  usually  awaits  them  all  along  the  line,  for  when  celery- 
fed  or  fattened  on  rice  their  flesh  can  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  that  of  the  canvasback  duck,  and  sportsmen  and  pot-hunters 
exhaust  all  known  devices  to  lure  them  within  gun-range.  The 
gentleman  hidden  behind  "blinds"  on  the  "duck-shores"  of 


L 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Maryland  and  the  sloughs  of  the  interior,  and  with  a  flock 
of  wooden  decoys  floating  near  by;  or  the  nefarious  market- 
gunner  in  his  "sink  boat,"  and  with  a  dazzling  reflector  behind 
the  naphtha  lamp  on  the  front  of  his  scow,  bag  by  fair  means 
and  foul  immense  numbers  of  baldpates  every  season;  yet  so 
prolific  is  the  bird,  and  so  widely  distributed  over  this  continent, 
that  there  still  remain  widgeons  to  shoot.  That  is  the  fact  one 
must  marvel  at  when  one  gazes  on  the  results  of  a  single 
night's  slaughtering  in  the  Chesapeake  country.  The  pot  hunter 
who  uses  a  reflector  to  fascinate  the  flocks  of  ducks  that,  bedded 
for  the  night,  swim  blindly  up  to  the  sides  of  the  boat,  moving 
silently  among  them,  often  kills  from  twenty  to  thirty  at  a  shot. 
True  sportsmen  must  soon  awaken  to  the  necessity  for  stopping 
this  wholesale  murdering  of  our  finest  game  birds. 

Whew,  whew,  whew — "  a  shrilly  feeble  whistle,  precisely  such 
as  the  young  puddle  duck  of  the  barnyard  makes  in  his  earliest 
vocal  efforts  " — announces  the  coming  of  a  flock  of  baldpates 
high  overhead.  Audubon  heard  them  say  "sweet,  sweet/'  as  if 
piped  by  a  flute  or  hautboy.  In  spite  of  their  marvelously  swift 
flight,  estimated  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  an  hour,  their  stiffened  wings  constantly  beating  the  air 
that  whistles  by  them,  they  are,  nevertheless,  often  overtaken  on 
the  wing  by  the  duck  hawk,  their  worst  enemy  next  to  man. 
Diving  and  swimming  under  water  are  their  only  resorts  when 
this  villain  attacks  them. 

But  when  living  an  undisturbed  life,  the  widgeons  greatly 
prefer  that  other  ducks,  notably  the  canvasbacks,  should  do  their 
diving  for  them.  Around  the  Chesapeake,  where  great  flocks  of 
wild  ducks  congregate  to  feed  on  the  wild  celery,  the  wid- 
geons show  a  not  disinterested  sociability,  for  they  kindly  permit 
their  friends  to  make  the  plunges  down  into  the  celery  beds, 
loosen  the  tender  roots,  and  bring  a  succulent  dinner  to  the 
surface;  then  rob  them  immediately  on  their  reappearance. 
Such  piracy  keeps  the  ducks  in  a  state  of  restless  excitement, 
which  is  further  induced  by  the  whistling  of  the  widgeons'  wings 
in  their  confused  manner  of  flight  in  and  around  the  feeding- 
grounds.  Here  they  wheel  about  in  the  air;  splash  and  splutter 
the  water;  stand  up  in  it  and  work  their  wings;  half  run,  half  fly 
along  the  surface,  and  in  many  disturbing  ways  make  themselves 
a  nuisance  to  the  hunter  in  ambush.  They  seem  especially 

101 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

alert  and  lively.  Neither  are  they  so  shy  as  many  of  their  com- 
panions; for  when  come  upon  suddenly  in  the  coves  of  the  lake, 
they  usually  row  boldly  out  toward  the  centre,  out  of  gun  range, 
and  take  to  wing,  if  need  be,  rather  than  spend  their  whole  day 
dozing  in  the  tall  grasses  on  the  shores  as  many  others  do.  Not 
that  they  may  never  be  caught  napping  on  the  sand  flats  or  in  the 
sedges  when  the  sun  is  high,  for  all  ducks  show  decided  noctur- 
nal preferences ;  only  widgeons  are  perhaps  the  boldest  of  their 
associates.  Open  rivers,  lakes,  estuaries  of  large  streams,  and 
bays  of  the  smaller  bodies  of  salt  water  attract  them  rather  than 
the  sluggish,  choked-up  sloughs  that  shyer  birds  delight  to  hide  in. 
Instead  of  nesting  close  beside  the  water  in  the  sedges,  after 
the  approved  duck  method,  the  widgeons  commonly  go  to  high, 
dry  ground  to  lay  from  seven  to  twelve  buff-white  eggs  in  a 
mere  depression  among  the  leaves  that  the  mother  lines  with 
down  from  her  breast.  Nests  are  frequently  found  half  a  mile  or 
more  ftxmj^water.  It  is  supposed,  but  not  as  yet  proved,  that  the 
mother  carries  in  her  bill  each  tiny  duckling  to  the  water,  where 
it  is  at  home  long  before  it  feels  so  on  land  or  in  the  air.  At 
various  stages  of  the  bird's  development  the  plumage  undergoes 
many  changes;  but  aside  from  those  of  age  and  sex,  the  baldpates 
show  unusual  variability.  However,  Dr.  Coues  consoles  the 
novice  with  the  assurance  that  "the  bird  cannot  be  mistaken 
under  any  conditions;  the  extensive  white  of  the  under  parts  and 
wings  is  recognizable  at  gunshot  range." 

The  European  Widgeon  (Anas  penelope)  has  found  its  way 
across  the  Atlantic  and  our  continent,  for  it  nests  in  the  Aleutian 
Islands  as  well  as  in  the  northern  parts  of  our  eastern  coast.  It 
is  occasionally  met  with  in  the  eastern  United  States;  and,  al- 
though it  has  a  bald  pate  also,  its  blackish  throat  and  the  reddish 
brown  on  the  rest  of  the  head  and  neck  easily  distinguish  it  from 
its  American  prototype. 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Green-winged  Teal 

(Anas  carolinensis] 

Length — 14  inches.     One  of  the  smallest  ducks. 

Male — Head  and  neck  rich  chestnut,  with  a  broad  band  of  glossy 
green  running  from  eyes  to  nape  of  neck;  chin  black; 
breast  light  pinkish-brown,  spotted  with  black;  upper  back 
and  sides  finely  marked  with  waving  black  and  white  lines; 
lower  back  dark  grayish  brown,  underneath  white.  A  white 
crescent  in  front  of  the  bend  of  the  wing;  wings  dull  gray, 
tipped  with  buff  and  with  patch  or  speculum  half  purplish 
black  and  half  rich  green.  Head  slightly  subcrested.  Bill 
black.  Feet  bluish  gray. 

Female — Less  green  on  wings;  no  crest;  throat  white;  head  and 
neck  streaked  with  light  reddish  brown  on  dark-brown 
ground;  mottled  brownish  and  buff  above;  lower  parts 
whitish  changing  to  buff  on  breast  and  lower  neck,  which 
are  clouded  with  dusky  spots. 

Range — North  America  at  large;  nests  in  Montana,  Minnesota, 
and  other  northern  states,  but  chiefly  north  of  the  United 
States;  winters  from  Virginia  and  Kansas,  south  to  Cuba, 
Honduras,  and  Mexico. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migratory  visitor  north  of  Washing- 
ton and  Kansas ;  more  abundant  in  the  interior  than  on  the 
coasts. 

Next  to  the  wood  duck,  this  diminutive,  exquisitely  marked 
and  colored  kinsman  is  perhaps  the  handsomest  member  of  its 
tribe;  and,  next  to  the  merganser,  it  is  said  to  be  the  most  fleet 
of  wing  as  it  is  of  foot,  unlike  many  of  its  waddling  relations; 
but  epicures  declare  its  delicious  flesh  is  the  one  characteristic 
worth  expending  superlatives  upon.  When  the  teal  has  fed  on 
wild  oats  in  the  west,  or  on  soaked  rice  in  the  fields  of  Georgia 
and  Carolina,  Audubon  declared  it  is  much  superior  to  the  glori- 
fied canvasback.  Nothing  about  its  rankness  of  flavor  when  it 
has  gorged  on  putrid  salmon  lying  in  the  creeks  in  the  north- 
west, or  the  maggots  they  contain,  ever  creeps  into  the  books; 
and  yet  this  dainty  little  exquisite  of  the  southern  rice  fields  has 
a  voracious  appetite  worthy  of  the  mallard,  around  the  salmon 
canneries  of  British  Columbia,  where  the  stench  from  a  flock  of 
teals  passing  overhead  betrays  a  taste  for  high  living,  no  other 
gourmand  can  approve.  When  clean  fed,  however,  there  is  no 
better  table-duck  than  a  teal. 

103 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Among  the  earliest  arrivals  from  the  horde  of  water-fowl 
that  follow  the  food  supply  from  the  far  north  into  the  United 
States  every  autumn,  the  green-wings  are  exceedingly  abundant 
in  the  fresh  water  lakes  and  ponds  of  the  interior,  and  less  so  on 
the  salt  water  lagoons  and  creeks  of  the  coast  until  frost  locks  up 
the  celery,  sedges,  wild  rice,  berries,  seeds  of  grasses,  tadpoles, 
and  the  various  kinds  of  insects  on  which  they  commonly  feed. 
Then  the  teals  go  into  winter  quarters,  and  as  they  pass  in  small, 
densely  packed  companies  overhead,  the  peculiar  reed-like  whis- 
tling of  their  swift  wings  may  be  plainly  heard.  Old  sportsmen 
tell  of  clouds  of  ducks,  numbering  countless  thousands,  but 
they  best  know  why  such  flights  are  gone  forever  from  the 
United  States. 

The  selfish,  dandified  drakes,  that  have  spent  their  summer 
putting  on  an  extra  suit  of  handsome  feathers  and  living  an  idle 
life  of  pleasure  while  their  mates  attended  to  all  the  nursery  duties, 
leave  them  to  find  their  way  south  as  best  they  may,  while  they 
pursue  a  separate  course.  In  the  spring  the  teals  are,  perhaps,  the 
easiest  ducks  to  decoy.  To  watch  the  gallantries  and  antics  of 
the  drake  in  the  spring,  when  he  proudly  swims  round  and  round 
his  coy  little  sweetheart,  uttering  his  soft  whistle  of  endearment, 
no  one  would  accuse  him  of  total  indifference  to  her  later. 
Happily,  she  is  self  reliant,  dutiful  to  her  young,  courageous,  re- 
sourceful. As  a  brood  may  consist  of  from  six  to  sixteen  duck- 
lings, the  mother  does  not  lack  company  during  the  autumn 
migration,  though  she  must  often  pay  heavy  toll  to  the  gunners 
in  every  state  she  passes  through.  Were  she  not  among  the 
most  prolific  of  birds,  doubtless  the  species  would  be  extinct 
to-day.  Happily  this  duck  is  a  mark  for  experts  only;  for,  with 
a  spring  from  the  water,  it  is  at  once  launched  in  the  air  on  a 
flight  so  rapid  that  few  sportsmen  reckon  it  correctly  in  taking 
aim.  When  wounded,  the  teal  plunges  below  the  water,  or 
when  pursued  by  a  hawk ;  but  it  rarely,  if  ever,  dives  for  food, 
the  "tipping-up  "  process  of  securing  roots  of  water  plants  in 
shallow  waters  answering  the  purpose.  Occasionally  one  sees 
a  flock  of  teals  sunning  themselves  on  sandy  flats  and  bogs, 
preening  their  feathers,  or  dozing  in  the  heat  of  noon ;  then  the 
hunter  picks  them  off  by  the  dozen  at  a  time ;  but  ordinarily 
these  birds  keep  well  screened  in  the  grasses  at  the  edges  of  the 
waters  until  twilight.  While,  like  most  other  ducks,  they  are 

104 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

particularly  active  toward  night  and  at  dawn,  they  are  not 
so  shy  as  many.  Farmers  often  see  them  picking  up  corn 
thrown  about  the  barnyard;  and  Mr.  Arnold  tells  in  the  "Nid- 
ologist "  of  finding  nests  of  the  green- winged  teals  built  in  tufts 
of  grass  on  the  sun  baked  banks  along  the  railroad  tracks  in 
Manitoba,  where  the  workmen  constantly  passed  the  brooding 
females  intent  only  on  keeping  warm  their  large  nestful  of  cream- 
white  eggs.  Nests  have  been  found  elsewhere,  quite  a  distance 
from  water,  which  would  seem  scarcely  intelligent  were  not  the 
teals  very  good  walkers  from  the  first,  and  less  dependent  than 
others  on  the  food  water  supplies.  In  the  west  one  some- 
times surprises  a  brood  and  its  devoted  little  mother  poking  about 
in  the  undergrowth  for  acorns,  or  for  grapes,  corn,  wheat,  and 
oats  that  lie  about  the  cultivated  lands  at  harvest  time.  Green- 
wings  are  early  nesters,  and  have  full  fledged  young  in  July,  when 
the  blue-wings  and  cinnamon  teal  are  still  sitting. 


Blue-winged  Teal 

(Anas  discors) 
Called  also:  WHITE-FACED  TEAL;  SUMMER  TEAL 

Length — 15  to  16  inches. 

Male — Head  and  neck  deep  gray  or  lead  color  with  purplish 
reflections ;  black  on  top ;  a  broad  white  crescent  bordered  by 
black  in  front  of  head;  breast  and  underneath  pale  reddish 
buff,  spotted  with  dusky  gray  on  the  former  and  barred  on 
the  flanks.  Back  reddish  brown,  marked  with  black  and 
buff  crescents,  more  greenish  near  the  tail.  Shoulders  dull 
sky  blue ;  wing  patch  green  bordered  with  white.  Bill  gray- 
ish black.  Feet  yellowish  with  dusky  webs. 

Female — Dusky  brown  marked  with  buff,  with  an  indistinct  white 
patch  on  chin;  sides  of  the  head  and  neck  whitish,  finely 
marked  with  black  spots  except  on  throat;  breast  and  under- 
neath paler  than  male  in  winter;  wings  similar  but  with  less 
white.  In  summer  plumage  males  and  females  closely  re- 
semble each  other. 

Range — North  America  from  Alaska  and  the  British  fur  countries 
to  Lower  California,  the  West  Indies,  and  South  America; 
nests  from  Kansas  northward ;  winters  from  Virginia  and  the 
lower  Mississippi  Valley  southward.  Most  abundant  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

105 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Season — More  common  in  the  autumn  migrations,  August,  Sep- 
tember, and  October,  along  the  Atlantic  coast  states  than  in 
the  spring,  and  always  more  plentiful  in  the  Mississippi 
region  than  near  salt  water. 

Similar  in  most  of  its  habits  to  the  green-winged  teal,  the 
blue-winged  species  appears  a  trifle  less  hardy,  and  is  there- 
fore, perhaps,  the  very  first  duck  to  come  into  the  United  States 
in  the  early  autumn  and  to  hurry  southward  when  the  first  frost 
pinches.  Tropical  winters  suit  it  perfectly,  but  many  birds  re- 
main in  our  southern  states  until  spring.  Here  they  forget  family 
traditions  of  shyness,  when  the  sun  shines  brightly,  and  sit 
crowded  together  basking  in  its  rays  on  the  mud  flats  and  shal- 
low lagoons,  delighting  in  the  tropical  warmth.  It  is  when  they 
are  enjoying  such  a  sun  bath  that  the  pot  hunter,  who  has  stolen 
silently  upon  them,  discharges  an  ounce  of  shot  in  their  midst,  and 
bags  more  ducks  at  a  time  than  one  who  knows  how  scarce  this 
fine  game  bird  is,  where  once  it  was  exceedingly  abundant,  cares 
to  contemplate.  The  old  "figure  four"  traps,  to  which  ducks  are 
decoyed  with  rice,  still  find  favor  with  the  market  hunter,  who 
is  looking  for  large  returns  for  his  efforts,  rather  than  for  sport. 
Decoys  are  all  but  useless  in  autumn  when  the  drakes  show  no 
attention  to  even  their  mates. 

Formerly  these  teals  were  very  common  indeed  in  New  Eng- 
land, the  middle  Atlantic  and  the  middle  states,  whereas  for  many 
seasons  past  the  same  old  story  is  heard  there  from  the  sports- 
men: "There  is  a  very  poor  flight  this  year."  It  is  likely  to 
grow  poorer  and  poorer  in  future  unless  the  ducks  are  given 
better  protection.  We  must  now  go  to  the  inaccessible  sloughs, 
grown  with  wild  rice,  in  Minnesota,  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  west- 
ward, or  to  the  lagoons  of  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  to  find  the 
two  commoner  species  of  teals  in  abundance.  In  such  luxuriant 
feeding-grounds,  where  they  associate  closely,  long,  wedge- 
shaped  strings  of  ducks  rise  from  the  sedges  at  any  slight  alarm, 
and  shoot  through  the  air  overhead  on  whistling  wings.  We 
are  accustomed  to  seeing  small,  densely  massed  flocks  in  the  east 
when  the  birds  are  migrating  southward.  The  blue-winged 
teals,  after  their  small  size  is  noted,  can  always  be  distinguished 
by  the  white  crescent  between  the  bill  and  eyes,  conspicuous  at 
a  good  distance.  "When  they  alight,  they  drop  down  suddenly 
among  the  reeds  in  the  manner  of  the  snipe  or  woodcock,"  says 

1 06 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Nuttall,  instead  of  hovering  suspiciously  over  the  spot  for  awhile, 
like  the  mallards.  They  are  silent  birds,  and,  though  not  always 
actually  so,  their  low,  feeble  quack,  rapidly  repeated,  is  so  dim- 
inutive that  they  get  little  credit  for  a  vocal  performance. 

Shoveler 

(Spatula  clypeata) 

Called  also:  SPOONBILL;    BROADBILL 

Length — 18  to  20  inches. 

Male — Head  and  neck  dusky,  glossy  bluish  green;  back  brown, 
paler  on  the  edges  of  the  feathers,  and  black  on  lower  back 
and  tail ;  patches  on  sides  of  base  of  tail,  lower  neck,  upper 
breast,  and  some  wing  feathers  white;  lower  breast  and 
underneath  reddish  chestnut;  shoulders  grayish  blue;  wing 
patch  green.  Bill  longer  than  head,  twice  as  wide  at  end 
as  at  base,  and  rounded  over  like  a  spoon ;  teeth  at  the  sides 
in  long,  slender  plates.  Tail  short,  consisting  of  fourteen 
sharply  pointed  feathers.  Feet  small  and  red. 

female — Smaller,  darker,  and  duller  than  male.  Head  and  neck 
streaked  with  buff,  brown,  and  black;  throat  yellowish 
white;  back  dark  olive  brown,  the  feathers  lighter  on  the 
edges;  underparts  yellowish  brown  indistinctly  barred  with 
dusky;  wings  much  like  male's,  only  less  vivid.  Immature 
birds  have  plumage  intermediate  between  their  parents'; 
their  shoulders  are  slaty  gray  and  the  wing  patch  shows 
little  or  no  green. 

Range — "Northern  hemisphere;  in  America  more  common  in  the 
interior;  breeds  regularly  from  Minnesota  northward  and 
locally  as  far  south  as  Texas;  not  known  to  breed  in  the 
Atlantic  States;  winters  from  southern  Illinois  and  Virginia 
southward  to  northern  South  America."  (Chapman.) 

Season — Winter  visitor  in  the  south ;  spring  and  autumn  migrant 
north  of  Washington ;  more  abundant  in  autumn  migrations 
in  the  east. 

However  variable  the  plumage  of  this  duck  may  be  in  the 
sexes  and  at  different  seasons,  its  strangely  shaped  bill  at  once 
identifies  it,  no  other  representatives  of  the  spoonbill  genus  of 
ducks  having  found  their  way  to  North  American  waters.  Ap- 
parently the  shoveler  is  guided  by  touch  rather  than  sight,  as  it 
pokes  about  on  the  muddy  shores  of  ponds  or  tips  up  to  probe  in 
the  shallow  waters  for  the  small  shellfish,  insects,  roots  of  aquatic 

107 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

plants,  and  small  fish  it  feeds  on.  It  is  not  a  strict  vegetarian, 
however  delicate  and  delicious  its  flesh  may  be  at  the  proper 
season.  There  are  many  sportsmen  who  would  not  pass  a 
shoveler  to  shoot  a  canvasback. 

North  of  the  United  States,  where  these  ducks  chiefly  have 
their  summer  home,  we  hear  of  the  jaunty,  parti-colored  drake, 
gayly  decked  out  for  the  nesting  season,  when  he  is  truly  beau- 
tiful to  behold,  and  charmingly  attentive  to  his  more  sombre 
mate.  By  the  time  the  autumn  migration  has  brought  them 
over  our  borders,  however,  he  has  cast  off  many  of  his  fine  feath- 
ers, together  with  his  gallant  manners,  and  closely  resembles  the 
duck  in  all  but  character.  He  is  ever  a  selfish  idler,  while  she 
attends  to  all  the  drudgery  of  making  the  nest  in  the  marshy  bor- 
der of  the  lake ;  of  incubating  from  six  to  fourteen  pale  greenish 
buff  eggs  during  four  weeks  of  the  closest  confinement ;  of  caring 
for  the  large  brood  and  teaching  the  ducklings  all  the  family  arts. 

Shovelers  are  expert  swimmers  and  divers,  though  they  "tip 
up  "  rather  than  dive  for  food ;  they  are  good  walkers  also,  when 
we  see  them  in  the  corn  fields,  and  almost  as  swift  on  the  wing  as 
a  teal.  Took,  took;  took,  took,  that  answers  as  a  love  song  and  the 
expression  of  whatever  passing  emotion  the  ordinarily  silent  birds 
may  voice,  was  likened  by  Nuttall  to  "a  rattle,  turned  by  small 
jerks  in  the  hand." 

Like  most  other  ducks  of  this  subfamily,  the  shoveler  is  not 
common  in  the  northern  Atlantic  states.  Salt  water  never 
attracts  it;  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  rejoices  in  lakes,  sluggish 
rivers  and  streams,  isolated  grass-grown  ponds,  and  even  pud- 
dles made  by  the  rain.  In  the  sloughs  and  lagoons  of  the  lower 
Mississippi  Valley  it  is  still  fairly  common  all  winter,  however 
much  it  is  persecuted  by  the  gunners. 

"These  birds  migrate  across  the  country  to  the  western 
plains  where  they  nest,"  says  Chamberlain,  "from  North  Dakota 
and  Manitoba  northward,  ranging  as  far  as  Alaska."  In  such 
remote  places,  where  the  hand  of  the  law  rarely  reaches  the 
nefarious  pot  hunter,  he  happily  finds  the  ducks  in  the  very  prime 
of  toughness. 


1 08 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

Pintail 

(Dafila  acuta) 

Called  also:   SPRIGTAIL ;  WINTER   DUCK 

Length — Male,  25  to  30  inches,  according  to  development  of  tail. 
Female,  22  inches. 

Male — Head  and  throat  rich  olive  brown,  glossed  with  green  and 
purple;  blackish  on  back  of  neck;  two  white  lines,  begin- 
ning at  the  crown,  border  the  blackish  space,  and  become 
lost  in  the  white  of  the  breast  and  under  parts.  Underneath 
faintly,  the  sides  more  strongly,  and  the  back  heavily  marked 
with  waving  black  lines;  back  darkest;  shoulders  black; 
wing  coverts  brownish  gray,  the  greater  ones  tipped  with 
reddish  brown;  speculum  or  wing  patch  purplish  green; 
central  tail  feathers  very  long  and  greenish  black.  Bill  and 
feet  slate  colored. 

Female — Tail  shorter,  but  with  central  feathers  sharply  pointed. 
Upper  parts  mottled  gray  and  yellowish  and  dark  brown; 
breast  pale  yellow  brown  freckled  with  dusky ;  whitish  be- 
neath, the  sides  marked  with  black  and  white;  only  traces 
of  the  speculum  in  green  spots  on  brown  area  of  wing;  tail 
with  oblique  bars.  In  nesting-plumage  the  drake  resembles 
the  female  except  that  his  wing  markings  remain  unchanged. 

Range — North  America  at  large,  nesting  north  of  Illinois  to  the 
Arctic  Ocean ;  winters  from  central  part  of  the  United  States 
southward  to  Panama  and  West  Indies. 

Season — Chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  migrant,  or  more  rarely  a 
winter  visitor,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  United  States ;  a 
winter  resident  in  the  south. 

No  one  could  possibly  mistake  the  long-tailed  drake  in  fall 
plumage  for  any  other  species;  but  the  tyro  who  would  not 
confound  his  dusky  mate  with  several  other  obscure  looking 
ducks,  must  take  note  of  her  lead  colored  bill  and  legs,  broad, 
sharply  pointed  tail  feathers,  and  dusky  under  wing  coverts. 
The  pintails  carry  themselves  with  a  stately  elegance  that  faintly 
suggests  the  coming  swan.  Their  necks,  which  are  unusually 
long  and  slender  for  a  duck;  their  well  poised  heads  and  trim, 
long  bodies,  unlike  the  squat  figure  of  some  of  their  kindred; 
their  sharp  wings  and  pointed  tails,  give  them  both  dignity  and 
grace  in  the  air,  on  the  land,  or  in  the  water,  for  they  appear 
equally  at  home  in  the  three  elements. 

But  of  such  charms  as  they  possess  they  are  exceedingly 
109 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

chary.  In  the  wet  prairie  lands  and  grass-grown,  shallow  waters 
which  they  delight  in,  hunters  find  these  birds  the  first  to  take 
alarm — troublesomely  vigilant,  noisy  chatterers,  with  a  very  small 
bump  of  curiosity  that  discourages  tolling  or  decoys ;  nervous  and 
easily  panicstricken.  At  the  first  crack  of  the  gun  they  shoot 
upward  in  a  confused,  struggling  mass  that  gives  all  too  good  a 
chance  for  a  pot  shot.  If  they  had  learned  to  scatter  them- 
selves in  all  directions,  to  dive  under  water  or  into  the  dense 
sedges  when  alarmed,  as  some  ducks  do,  there  would  be  many 
more  pintails  alive  to-day ;  but  usually  they  practise  none  of  these 
protections.  There  are  men  living  who  recall  the  times,  never 
to  return,  when  ducks  resorted  literally  by  the  million  to  the 
Kankakee  and  the  Calumet  regions;  and  pintails  in  countless 
multitudes  swelled  the  hordes  that  thronged  out  of  the  north  in 
the  autumn  migration.  In  spite  of  their  enormous  fertility,  their 
strong,  rapid  flight,  their  swimming  and  diving  powers,  their 
shyness  and  readiness  to  take  alarm — in  spite  of  the  lavish  pro- 
tection that  nature  has  given  them,  and  of  their  economic  value 
to  man — there  are  great  tracts  of  country  where  these  once  abun- 
dant game  birds  have  been  hunted  to  extinction. 

From  the  west  and  the  north  sportsmen  follow  the  ducks 
into  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  region  and  our  southern  sea- 
board states,  where  the  majority  winter.  Widgeons  and  black 
ducks  often  associate  with  them  there.  The  canvasback,  the 
redhead,  the  black  duck,  the  teals,  and  the  mallard,  while 
counted  greater  delicacies,  by  no  means  attract  the  exclusive 
attention  of  the  pot  hunter  when  pintails  are  in  sight.  Given  a 
good  cook  and  a  young,  fat,  tender  duck,  even  Macaulay's  school- 
boy could  tell  the  result. 

It  is  an  amusing  sight  to  see  a  flock  of  drakes  feeding  in 
autumn,  when  they  chiefly  live  apart  by  themselves.  Tipping 
the  fore  part  of  their  bodies  downward  while,  with  their  long 
necks  distended,  they  probe  the  muddy  bottoms  of  the  lake  for 
the  vegetable  matter  and  low  animal  forms  they  feed  upon,  their 
long  tails  stand  erect  above  the  surface,  like  so  many  bulrushes 
growing  in  the  water.  They  seem  able  to  stand  on  their 
heads  in  this  fashion  indefinitely;  a  spasmodic  working  of  their 
feet  in  the  air  from  time  to  time  testifying  only  to  the  difficulty  a 
bird  may  be  having  to  loosen  some  much  desired  root. 

From  eight  to  twelve  yellowish  olive  or  pale  greenish  white 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

eggs  are  laid  near  the  water,  but  in  dry,  grassy  land,  where  the 
mother,  who  bears  all  the  family  cares,  forms  a  slight  depression 
in  the  soil,  under  some  protecting  bush,  if  may  be,  and  lines  it 
with  feathers  from  her  breast. 


Wood  Duck 

(Aix  sponsa) 

Called  also:  SUMMER  DUCK;  BRIDAL  DUCK;  WOOD  WID- 
GEON;   TREE   DUCK;   ACORN   DUCK 

Length — 17  to  19  inches. 

Male — Crown  of  head,  elongated  crest,  and  cheeks  golden,  metal- 
lic green,  with  purple  iridescence;  a  white  line  from  base 
of  bill  over  the  eye,  and  another  behind  it,  reach  to  the  end 
of  crest;  throat,  and  a  band  from  it  up  sides  of  head,  white; 
breast  rich  reddish  chestnut  spotted  with  white;  white  un- 
derneath, shading  into  yellowish  gray  on  the  sides,  which  are 
finely  marked  with  waving  lines  of  black;  strong  black  and 
white  markings  on  long  feathers  at  back  of  the  flanks  on  the 
sides.  Upper  parts  dark,  iridescent  and  purplish,  greenish 
brown;  a  white  crescent  and  a  black  one  in  front  of  wings, 
which  are  glossed  with  purple  and  green  and  tipped  with 
white;  wing  patch  purplish  blue  edged  with  white;  spot  at 
either  side  of  base  of  tail,  chestnut  purple.  Bill  pinkish,  red 
at  the  base,  black  underneath  and  on  ridge  and  tip.  Legs 
yellow. 

Female — Smaller.  Crest  and  wing  markings  more  restricted; 
head  dusky  with  purplish  crown ;  throat,  patch  around  eye, 
and  line  backward,  white;  breast  and  sides  grayish  brown, 
streaked  with  buff;  underneath  white;  back  olive  brown 
glossed  with  greenish  and  purple.  Young  drake  resembles 
the  female. 

Range — "North  America  at  large,  but  chiefly  in  the  United  States, 
breeding  throughout  its  range,  wintering  chiefly  in  the 
south."  (Coues.) 

Season — Summer  resident. 

This  most  beautiful  of  all  our  ducks,  if  not  of  all  American 
birds,  in  the  opinion  of  many,  that  Linnaeus  named  the  bride 
(sponsa),  although  it  is  the  groom  that  is  particularly  festive  ;  , 
rich  apparel  and  flowing,  veil-like  crest,  confines  itself  to  tnis 
continent  exclusively ;  neither  has  it  a  counterpart  in  Europe  or 
Asia  as  most  of  our  other  ducks  have.  It  is  an  independent  little 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

creature  with  a  set  way  of  doing  things  quite  apart,  many  of  them, 
from  family  traditions.  For  instance,  it  nests  in  trees  rather  than 
on  the  ground  and  walks  about  the  limbs  like  any  song  bird ;  it 
never  quacks,  but  has  a  musical  call  all  its  own ;  the  lovers  do 
not  cease  to  be  such  after  the  incubation  begins — to  name  only  a 
few  of  the  wood  duck's  peculiarities. 

Arriving  from  the  south,  already  mated,  in  April,  a  couple 
prepare  to  spend  the  summer  with  us  by  selecting  a  home  im- 
mediately; an  abandoned  hole  where  an  owl,  a  woodpecker,  a 
squirrel,  or  a  blackbird  has  once  nested,  answers  admirably; 
or,  if  such  a  one  be  not  available,  the  twigs,  grasses,  leaves,  and 
feathers  that  would  have  lined  an  excavation  are  woven  into  a 
loose,  bulky  nest  placed  among  the  branches.  Deep  woods  near 
water,  or  belted  waterways  far  away  from  the  sea  coast,  are 
preferred  localities. 

How  the  plump,  squat,  little  mother  can  work  her  way  in 
and  out  through  the  small  entrance  to  the  hole  where,  for  four 
weary  weeks,  she  sits  on  from  eight  to  fourteen  ivory  eggs,  is 
a  mystery.  It  is  usually  far  too  narrow  for  her,  one  would  think, 
and  yet  she  evidently  has  no  desire  to  make  it  larger,  as  she  easily 
might  do  by  pecking  at  the  soft,  decayed  wood.  The  handsome 
drake  on  guard  in  a  tree  near  by  calls  peet,  peet,  o-eek,  o-eek  to 
encourage  her  or  warn  her  of  any  threatened  danger,  to  which 
a  faint,  musical  response,  like  the  pewee's  plaint,  comes  from  the 
hole  where  she  sits  brooding.  Many  endearments  pass  between 
the  couple,  but  there  is  no  division  of  labor,  for  no  self  respecting 
drake  would  possibly  allow  his  affection  to  overrule  his  dis- 
inclination for  work.  The  duck  attends  to  all  household  duties, 
evidently  flattered  and  content  with  the  vocal  expressions  of  her 
lord's  regard  and  his  standing  around  and  looking  handsome, 
which  cost  him  nothing.  The  constant  moving  of  his  tail  from 
side  to  side,  when  perching,  is  his  most  energetic  effort. 

When  the  fluffy  little  ducklings  finally  emerge  from  the  shell, 
it  is  .the  mother  who  has  the  task  of  carrying  the  numerous  brood 
to  water.  Often  the  nest  is  in  a  tree  overhanging  a  lake,  a  quiet 
stream,  or  pond,  in  which  case  she  has  only  to  tumble  the  babies 
out  of  their  cradle  into  the  water,  where  they  are  instantly  at 
home.  But  if  the  tree  stands  back  from  the  water's  edge,  one 
by  one  she  must  carry  them  in  her  bill  and  set  them  afloat, 
while  the  father  swims  around  them  on  guard,  proud  of  them. 


River  and  Pond  Ducks 

no  doubt,  proud  of  his  energetic  busy  mate,  but  doubtless  most 
proud  of  himself.  Wood  ducks  become  exceedingly  attached  to 
their  home.  They  return  year  after  year  to  the  same  hole  to  nest, 
regardless  of  approaching  civilization,  the  diversion  of  a  water 
course  for  factory  purposes,  the  whistle  of  the  locomotive.  It  is 
the  gunner  alone  who  drives  them  to  a  more  secluded  asylum. 
On  the  outskirts  of  villages  these  ducks  often  fearlessly  enter  the 
barnyard  to  pick  up  the  poultry's  grain ;  and  there  are  plenty  of 
instances  where  they  have  been  successfully  domesticated. 

In  July  the  drake  withdraws  to  moult  his  bridal  garments, 
leaving  his  overworked  mate  to  lead  the  ducklings  about  on  land 
and  water  in  quest  of  seeds  of  plants,  wild  oats  or  rice,  roots 
of  aquatic  vegetables,  acorns,  and  numerous  kinds  of  insects. 
The  small  coleoptera  that  skips  and  flies  so  nimbly  along  the 
surface  of  still  inland  waters,  among  the  sedges  and  the  lily  pads, 
is  ever  a  favorite  morsel,  a  fact  that  testifies  to  the  expert  swim- 
ming of  this  duck.  By  September  the  drake  comes  out  from  his 
exile  clad  in  plumage  resembling  the  duck's,  but  still  more  bril- 
liant than  hers,  and  retaining  the  white  throat  markings.  As  the 
young  birds  have  been  gradually  shedding  their  down  through 
the  summer  and  putting  on  feathers  like  their  mother's,  the  family 
likeness  in  each  individual  is  now  most  marked.  Wood  ducks, 
if  ever  gregarious,  are  so  in  autumn,  when  flocks  begin  to  assem- 
ble early  for  the  southern  migration;  but  at  the  north  we  see 
only  family  parties  preparing  for  the  journeys  that  are  made  at 
twilight  and  by  night,  although  in  the  south  we  hear  of  com- 
panies, sometimes  numbering  a  hundred  or  more.  Unhappily, 
their  sweet,  tender  flesh  is  in  a  demand  exceeding  the  legitimate 
supply  in  every  state  they  pass  through. 

"The  wood  duck  is  far  too  beautiful  a  bird  to  be  killed  for 
food.  Its  economic  value  is  too  small  to  be  worth  a  moment's 
consideration,"  says  Mr.  Shields.  "I  would  as  soon  think  of 
killing  and  eating  a  Baltimore  oriole  or  a  scarlet  tanager  as  a 
wood  duck,  and  I  hope  to  see  the  day  when  the  latter  will  be 
protected  all  the  year  round  by  the  laws  of  all  the  states  in  the 
Union  and  of  all  the  provinces  of  Canada." 


"3 


SEA  AND  BAY  DUCKS 

(Subfamily  Fuligulince) 

Redhead 

(Aytloyra  americana) 

Called  also:  AMERICAN  POCHARD 

Length — 19  to  20  inches. 

Male — Well  rounded  head  and  throat,  bright  reddish  chestnut, 
with  coppery  reflection;  lower  neck,  lower  back,  and  fore 
parts  of  body  above  and  below,  black;  rest  of  the  back, 
sides,  and  shoulders  waved  with  black  and  white  lines  of 
equal  width,  that  give  the  parts  a  silvery  gray  aspect.  Wings 
brownish  gray,  minutely  dotted  with  white;  wing  patch 
ashy,  bordered  with  black;  wing  linings  chiefly  white  like  the 
under  parts.  Bill,  which  is  less  than  two  inches  long,  dull 
blue,  with  a  black  band  at  end.  Legs  and  feet  grayish  brown. 
Female—  Upper  parts  dull  grayish  brown;  darker  on  lower  back, 
the  feathers  edged  with  buff  or  ashy,  giving  them  a  mottled 
appearance;  forehead  wholly  brown;  line  behind  eye  and 
cheeks  reddish;  upper  throat  white;  neck  buff;  breast  and 
sides  grayish  brown  washed  with  buff,  and  shading  into 
white  underneath;  an  indistinct  bluish  gray  band  across  end 
of  bill. 

Range — North  America  at  large;  nesting  from  California  and 
Minnesota  northward,  and  wintering  south  of  Virginia  to 
West  Indies. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant,  or  winter  visitor. 

Caterers  not  up  in  ornithology  very  often  have  this  common 
wild  duck  of  the  market  stalls  palmed  off  on  them,  at  a  fancy 
price,  for  canvasbacks;  and  the  tyro  on  the  duck  shores  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  our  inland  lakes  just  as  frequently  confuses  these 
two  species.  Here  are  a  few  aids  to  identification  offered  in  the 
interest  of  science,  and  not  because  any  sympathy  need  be  felt  for 
one  who  is  compelled  to  eat  a  redhead,  the  peer  of  any  table  duck. 

The  bill  of  the  canvasback  is  a  full  half  inch  longer  than  that 
114 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

of  the  redhead.  The  longer,  narrower  head  of  the  former  slants 
gradually  backward  from  the  bill,  while  that  of  the  latter  rises 
more  abruptly,  giving  the  duck  a  full,  round  forehead.  The 
plumage  on  the  head  and  neck  of  the  redhead  is  decidedly  rufous, 
without  any  black,  whereas  the  canvasback  is  rufous  brown  on 
those  parts,  except  on  the  chin  and  crown,  which  are  blackish. 
The  white  lines  on  the  almost  white  back  of  the  canvasback  are 
wider  than  those  of  the  redhead,  whose  black  and  white  waves 
are  of  equal  width,  and  look  silvery.  Usually  canvasbacks  are 
larger,  heavier  birds,  but  not  always.  Finally,  the  females  may 
be  distinguished  by  the  difference  in  their  backs,  the  canvas- 
back  duck  having  wavy  white  lines  across  a  grayish  brown 
ground,  while  the  redhead  is  dull  mottled  brown  and  buff 
above.  Unscrupulous  dealers  have  a  trick  of  pulling  out  the  tell- 
tale feathers,  however,  which  leaves  the  housekeeper  only  the 
shape  of  the  duck's  head  and  bill  to  guide  her  choice  and  protect 
her  purse.  As  both  these  species  frequent  the  same  bodies  of 
water,  constant  opportunities  for  comparisons  are  offered  to  that 
very  small  minority,  alas,  who  are  more  interested  in  the  study 
of  the  living  duck  than  in  the  flavor  of  one  roasted. 

When  the  ice  begins  to  form  at  the  far  north,  where  the  red- 
heads have  spent  the  summer,  great  flocks  come  down  to  us, 
eschewing  New  England  with  unaccountable  perversity,  and 
taking  up  a  temporary  residence  in  the  smaller  lakes  that  drain 
into  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  larger  western  rivers,  before  de- 
scending to  the  Chesapeake  shores — the  duck's  paradise — and 
the  lagoons  of  our  southern  states,  where  they  pass  the  winter. 
It  must  not  be  for  a  moment  supposed  that  because  this  group  of 
birds  is  called  sea  and  bay  ducks  they  are  found  exclusively 
around  salt  water.  On  the  contrary,  many  are  more  abundant  in 
the  interior  than  along  the  coast.  The  classification  has  reference  to 
the  lobe,  or  web,  of  these  birds'  feet,  which  are  most  fully  equipped 
for  swimming  and  diving.  The  redhead  and  all  its  immediate 
kin  plunge  through  deep  water.  Those  that  feed  in  the  great 
beds  of  wild  celery,  or  vallisneria,  gain  a  peculiar  sweetness  and 
delicacy  of  flesh.  In  regions  where  this  eel-grass  does  not  grow 
— as  in  California,  for  example — and  the  redhead  must  live  upon 
fish,  lizards,  tadpoles,  and  the  coarser  aquatic  vegetables,  it 
enjoys  no  patronage  whatever  from  epicures;  whereas  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley  and  the  Chesapeake,  where  this  "celery" 

"5 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

grows  most  abundantly,  gunners  shoot  thousands  on  thousands 
to  supply  the  demand. 

A  great  troop  of  redheads  flying  in  a  close  body  along  the 
coast  in  autumn  makes  a  roar  like  thunder,  as  their  long,  strong 
wings  beat  the  air  in  unison.  Alighting  on  the  waters  above 
their  feeding  ground,  they  are  at  first  restless,  alert,  constantly 
wheeling  about  in  the  air  to  reconnoitre,  before  settling  down  to 
enjoy  themselves  with  an  easy  mind.  If  they  have  been  decoyed 
to  the  duck  shores  at  daybreak  by  gunners  screened  behind 
blinds,  or  tolled  within  range,  a  volley  welcomes  them  ;  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  flock  quickly  outrace  sight  itself;  the  wounded  es- 
cape by  diving;  and  well-trained  dogs,  plunging  through  the  icy 
water,  bring  in  to  shore  the  tax  that  has  been  levied  on  the 
"bunch."  Sink  boats  and  reflectors,  employed  by  market  shoot- 
ers who  turn  sport  to  slaughter,  must  soon  be  suppressed  if 
there  is  to  be  any  sport  left — a  doubtful  possibility  at  the  present 
rate  of  decrease. 

In  the  sloughs  and  shallow  waters  of  the  interior — too  shallow 
for  diving — the  redheads  dabble  about  like  any  pond  ducks,  and 
tip  up  one  extremity  while  the  other  probes  the  muddy  bottom 
for  food.  It  is  in  such  marshy  waters  at  the  north  that  they 
build  a  nest  among  the  rank  herbage  close  to  shore.  Here  it 
sometimes  rests  on  the  water,  or  else  very  close  beside  it;  for 
these  ducks  are  poor  walkers,  and  the  mother  chooses  to  glide  off 
the  large  nestful  of  buff  eggs  directly  into  her  natural  element. 
As  usual,  the  drake  keeps  at  a  distance  when  there  is  any  work 
to  be  done.  Their  call  note  is  a  sort  of  hiss,  suggesting  their 
ancestors,  the  reptiles,  on  the  one  hand,  and  their  immediate  kin, 
the  geese,  on  the  other. 


Canvasback 

(Aythyra  vallisneria) 

Called  also:  WHITE  BACK  ;  BULL-NECK 

Length— -21  inches  ;  generally  a  little  larger  than  the  redhead. 

Male — Head  and  neck  dark  reddish  brown,  almost  black  on 
crown  and  chin.  A  broad  band  of  black  encircles  breast  and 
upper  back  ;  rest  of  the  back  and  generally  wing  coverts  sil- 
very gray,  almost  white,  the  plumage  being  white,  broken  up 
with  fine  wavy  black  lines  often  broken  into  dots  across 

116 


ciea  and  Bay  Ducks 

the  feathers;  white  underneath;  sides  dusky;  pointed  tail 
feathers  darkest  slate.  Bill,  longer  than  head  and  shaped  like 
a  goose's,  from  2.50  to  3  inches  in  length.  Eyes  red;  feet 
bluish  gray. 

Female — Head,  neck,  collar  around  upper  back  and  breast,  cinna- 
mon or  snuff  brown:  lighter  on  the  throat;  back  and  sides 
grayish  brown  marked  with  waving  white  lines;  white 
underneath. 

Range — North  America  at  large,  nesting  from  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  the  upper  tier  of  our  western  states  to  Alaska  and 
the  farthest  British  possessions,  and  wintering  in  the  United 
States,  especially  in  the  Chesapeake  and  middle  Texas  regions, 
southward  to  Central  America. 

Season — Autumn  and  spring  migrant,  and  winter  resident. 

"There  is  little  reason  for  squealing  in  barbaric  joy  over  this 
over-rated  and  generally  underdone  bird,"  says  Dr.  Coues;  "not 
one  person  in  ten  thousand  can  tell  it  from  any  other  duck  on  the 
table,  and  only  then  under  the  celery  circumstances."  Yet  it  is 
this  darling  of  the  epicures  that,  with  the  stewed  terrapin  of 
Maryland  kitchens,  has  conferred  on  Baltimore  the  title  of  the 
"gastronomic  capital"  of  our  country.  There,  where  it  is 
brought  to  market  fattened  on  the  wild  celery  in  the  Chesapeake, 
it  is  in  its  prime  a  tender,  delicately  flavored  duck,  but  not  one 
whit  more  delicious  than  the  canvasbacks  taken  in  Wisconsin, 
for  example,  where  the  celery  beds  cover  hundreds  of  miles;  or 
the  redheads  that  feed  in  the  same  place  ;  or,  indeed,  than  many  of 
the  river  and  pond  ducks  unknown  to  the  gourmands  of  Mary- 
land. Redheaded  ducks  are  constantly  palmed  off  at  fancy  prices 
by  unscrupulous  dealers  on  uninformed  caterers,  who  suffer  only 
in  pocket-book  by  the  deception ;  but  the  novice  who  wishes  to 
get  what  he  is  paying  for  is  referred  to  the  preceding  biography 
to  learn  the  distinguishing  marks  of  these  close  associates. 

After  all  it  is  the  food  it  lives  upon,  and  not  its  species,  that 
is  responsible  for  any  duck's  flavor.  Canvasbarks  have  an  im- 
mense range,  and  where  no  wild  celery  grows,  and  they  must 
harden  their  muscles  in  the  active  pursuit  of  fish,  lizards,  and 
other  animal  diet,  they  become  as  tough  and  rank  as  a  merganser, 
ignored  and  even  despised  members  of  the  duck  clan  these  pre- 
cieuses  ridicules. 

The  wild  celery,  or  valltsneria  spiralis,  which  is  no  celery  at 
all,  but  an  eel  grass  growing  entirely  beneath  the  water,  took  its 

117 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

name  from  Antonio  Vallisneri,  an  Italian  naturalist,  and  it  was 
passed  on  as  a  specific  name  to  the  canvasback.  When  fattened 
upon  it  a  brace  of  these  ducks  often  weigh  twelve  pounds.  To 
secure  its  buds  and  roots,  the  only  parts  they  eat,  they  must  dive 
and  remain  a  long  time  under  water,  only  to  be  robbed  on  their 
return  many  times  by  the  bold  baldpates  that  snatch  the  celery 
from  their  bills  the  instant  their  heads  appear  above  water.  Sev- 
eral duck  farms  have  been  recently  established  where  the  common 
plebeian  domestic  duck  is  fed  on  celery  and  fattened  for  the 
market.  Then  this  vulgar  bird  is  served  up  at  hotels  and  res- 
taurants as  canvasback,  at  from  three  to  five  dollars  a  plate,  and 
no  one,  not  even  the  epicure,  can  tell  the  difference. 

Exceedingly  shy,  wary,  restless  scouts,  the  canvasbacks  are 
decoyed  within  gun  range  only  by  the  sportsman's  subtlest  wiles. 
It  is  no  part  of  the  plan  of  this  book  to  assist  in  the  already  rapid 
extermination  of  our  game  birds  by  detailing  the  manifold  schemes 
devised  for  their  capture,  which  when  fully  investigated  vastly 
increase  our  respect  for  a  bird  that  can  save  its  neck  in  passing 
through  this  land  of  liberty.  This  and  other  diving  ducks  that 
wear  thick  feathered  chest  protectors  may  fall  to  the  water, 
stunned  by  the  sportsman's  shot,  but  quickly  revive,  and  escape 
under  water;  while  the  retriever,  nonplussed  by  their  disappear- 
ance, is  blamed  for  his  stupidity. 

One  would  imagine  our  ornithologists  were  writing  cook- 
books, to  read  their  accounts  of  this  duck  whose  habits  have  been 
little  studied  beyond  its  feeding  grounds  in  the  United  States. 
Its  life  history  is  still  incomplete,  although  its  nesting  habits  are 
supposed  to  be  identical  with  those  of  the  redhead,  and  its  buff 
eggs  are  known  to  have  a  bluish  tinge.  It  is  in  death  that  the 
canvasback  is  glorified. 

Greater  Scaup  Duck 

(Aythyra  marila  nearctica) 

Called  also:  AMERICAN  SCAUP;  BROADBILL ;  BLACK- 
HEAD ;  BLUEBILL ;  RAFT  DUCK ;  FLOCKING  FOWL  ; 
SHUFFLER. 

Length — 17.50  to  20  inches. 

Male — Black  on  upper  parts,  with  greenish  and  purplish  reflec- 
tions on  head;  lower  back  and  about  shoulders  waved  with 
us 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

black  and  white;  under  parts  white,  with  black  waving 
bars  on  sides  of  body  and  near  the  tail;  speculum,  or  wing 
mirror,  white.  Bill  dull  blue,  broad,  and  heavy;  dark,  slate- 
colored  feet. 

Female — A  white  space  around  base  of  bill,  but  other  fore  parts 
rusty,  the  rusty  feathers  edged  with  buff  on  the  breast;  back 
and  shoulders  dusky,  and  the  sides  dark  grayish  brown, 
finely  marked  with  waving  white  lines;  under  parts  and 
speculum  white. 

Range — North  America  at  large;  nesting  inland,  chiefly  from 
Manitoba  northward;  winters  from  Long  Island  to  South 
America. 

Season — Common  spring  and  autumn  migrant,  and  winter  resi- 
dent south  of  New  England  and  the  Great  Lakes. 

If  the  number  of  popular  names  that  get  attached  to  a  bird  is 
an  indication  of  man's  intimacy  with  it,  then  the  American  scaup 
is  among  the  most  familiar  game  birds  on  the  continent.  It  is  still 
a  mooted  question  whether  the  word  scaup  refers  to  the  broken 
shell  fish  which  this  duck  feeds  upon  when  wild  celery,  insects, 
and  fry  are  not  accessible,  or  to  the  harsh,  discordant  scaup  it 
utters,  but  which  most  people  think  sounds  more  like  quauck.  Its 
broad,  bluish  bill,  its  glossy  black  head,  its  not  unique  habit  of 
living  in  large  flocks,  its  readiness  to  dive  under  a  raft  rather 
than  swim  around  one,  and  its  awkward,  shuffling  gait  on  land, 
where  it  rarely  ventures,  make  up  the  sum  of  its  eccentricities  set 
forth  in  its  nicknames. 

Gunners  in  the  west  and  on  the  Atlantic  shores  from  Long 
Island  southward,  especially  in  the  Chesapeake,  where  wild 
celery  abounds,  find  the  bluebills  among  the  most  inveterate 
divers:  they  plunge  for  food  or  to  escape  danger,  loon  fashion, 
and  when  wounded  have  been  known  to  cling  to  a  rock  or  tuft 
of  sedges  under  water  with  an  agonized  grip  that  even  death  did 
not  unfasten.  They  do  not  rise  with  ease  from  the  surface  of  the 
water,  which  doubtless  often  makes  diving  a  safer  resort  than 
flight.  Audubon  spoke  of  their  "laborious  flight;"  but  when 
once  fairly  launched  in  the  air,  their  wings  set  in  rigid  curves, 
they  rush  through  the  sky  with  a  hissing  sound  and  a  rate  of 
speed  that  no  amateur  marksman  ever  estimates  correctly.  They 
are  high  flyers,  these  bluebills;  and  as  they  come  swiftly  wind- 
ing downward  to  rest  upon  the  bays  of  the  seacoast  or  large 
bodies  of  inland  waters,  they  seem  to  drop  from  the  very  clouds. 

119 


'Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

No  dabblers  in  mud  puddles  are  they:  tney  must  have  water 
deep  enough  for  diving  and  cold  enough  to  be  exhilarating. 
Diving  ducks  feed  by  daylight  chiefly,  or  they  would  never  be 
able  to  distinguish  a  crab  claw  from  a  celery  blade ;  but  they  also 
take  advantage  of  moonlight  for  extra  late  suppers.  In  the 
Chesapeake  region  flocks  of  ducks  that  have  "bedded"  for  the 
night  rise  with  the  rising  moon,  and  disport  themselves  above 
and  below  the  silvery  waters  with  greater  abandon  even  than  by 
day.  Owing  to  the  thick  feathered  armor  these  ducks  wear,  the 
sportsman  often  counts  birds  shot  that,  being  only  stunned,  are 
able  to  escape  under  water. 

It  is  only  when  the  nesting  season  has  closed  that  we  find 
the  bluebills  near  the  seacoast  They  build  the  usual  rude,  duck- 
like  cradle — or,  rather,  the  duck  builds  it,  for  the  drake  gives 
nursery  duties  no  thought  whatever — in  the  sedges  near  an 
inland  lake  or  stream,  where  this  ideal  mother  closely  confines 
herself  for  four  weeks  on  from  six  to  ten  pale  olive  buff  eggs. 
Nuttall  observed  that  "both  male  and  female  make  a  similar 
grunting  noise  "  (the  quauck  or  scaup  referred  to),  "  and  have  the 
same  singular  toss  of  the  head  with  an  opening  of  the  bill  when 
sporting  on  the  water  in  spring." 

The  Lesser  Scaup  Duck  (Aythyra  affinis),  Creek  Broadbill, 
Little  Bluebill,  and  so  on  through  diminutives  of  all  the  greater 
scaup's  popular  names,  may  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  its 
larger  counterpart,  except  when  close  enough  for  its  smaller  size 
(sixteen  inches),  the  purplish  reflections  on  its  head  and  neck,  and 
the  heavier  black  and  white  markings  on  its  flanks  to  be  noted. 
Apparently  there  is  no  great  difference  in  the  habits  of  these  fre- 
quently confused  allies,  except  the  preference  for  fresh  water  and 
inland  creeks  shown  by  the  lesser  scaup,  which  is  not  common 
in  the  salt  waters  near  the  sea  at  the  north,  and  its  more  south- 
ern distribution  in  winter.  Chapman  says:  "It  is  by  far  the 
most  abundant  duck  in  Florida  waters  at  that  season,  where  it 
occurs  in  enormous  flocks  in  the  rivers  and  bays  along  the 
coasts." 

The  Ring-necked  Duck  (Aythyra  collaris),  or  Ring-necked 
Blackhead,  Marsh.  Bluebill,  Ring-billed  Blackhead,  and  Bastard 
Broadbill,  as  it  is  variously  called,  though  of  the  same  size  as  the 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

lesser  scaup,  may  be  distinguished  from  either  of  its  allies  by  a 
broad  reddish  brown  collar,  a  white  chin,  entirely  black  shoulders, 
gray  speculum  on  wings,  and  a  bluish  gray  band  across  the  end 
of  the  broad,  black  bill,  which  are  its  distinguishing  marks. 
While  the  female  closely  resembles  the  female  redhead,  its  smaller 
size,  darker  brown  coloration,  gray  speculum,  indistinct  collar, 
and  the  shape  and  marking  of  its  bill,  are  always  diagnostic  with 
a  bird  in  the  hand.  This  broadbill  is  almost  exclusively  a  fresh 
water  duck :  not  an  abundant  bird  anywhere,  apparently,  even  in 
the  well-watered  interior  of  this  country  and  Canada,  which  is  all 
ducks'  paradise;  and  mention  of  its  occurrences  are  so  rare  along 
the  Atlantic  coast  as  to  make  those  seem  accidental.  On  the 
fresh  water  lakes  of  some  of  the  southern  Atlantic  states  it  is  as 
abundant  in  winter,  perhaps,  as  it  is  anywhere.  Its  classification 
among  the  sea  and  bay  ducks  has  reference  only  to  the  full 
development  of  its  feet. 

It  was  Charles  Bonaparte,  Prince  of  Canino,  who  first  named 
this  duck,  which  had  been  previously  confounded  with  the  two 
other  broadbills,  as  a  distinct  species;  and  we  are  still  indebted 
to  that  tireless  enthusiast  for  the  greater  part  of  our  informa- 
tion concerning  it,  which  is  little  enough.  So  far  as  studied, 
its  habits  differ  little  from  those  of  its  allies.  At  the  base  of 
the  head,  a  few  long  feathers,  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  as  a 
crest,  are  constantly  erected  as  the  bird  swims  about  on  the 
lake  with  its  neck  curved  swan  fashion ;  and  Audubon  tells  of  its 
"emitting  a  note  resembling  the  sound  produced  by  a  person 
blowing  through  a  tube."  Like  many  another  duck,  there  is 
more  interest  shown  in  this  one's  flavor  than  in  its  life  history. 


American  Golden-eye 

(Glaucionetta  clangula  americana) 

Called  also:     WHISTLER;    WHISTLE   WING;    BRASS-EYED 
WHISTLER;    GREAT  HEAD;    CARROT. 

Length — 17  to  20  inches. 

Male — Head  and  short  throat  dark,  glossy  green;  feathers  on  the 
former,  puffy ;  a  round  white  space  at  base  of  bill ;  neck  all 
around,  breast,  greater  part  of  wings,  including  speculum 
and  under  parts,  white;  wing  linings  dusky;  rest  of  plumage 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

black.     Feet  orange,  with  dusky  webs ;  bill  black  or  blackish 

green,  and  with  large  nostrils;  iris  bright  golden. 
Female — Much  smaller;  head  and  throat  snuff  color,  and  lacking 

the  white  space  near  the  bill;  fore  neck  white;    upper  parts 

brownish  black;  under  parts  white,  shading  into  gray  on 

sides  and  upper  breast,  which  are  waved  with  gray  or  brown ; 

speculum  white,  but  with  less  white  elsewhere  on  wings 

than  male's.     Bills  variable. 
Range — North  America,  nesting  from  our  northern  boundaries  to 

the  far  north,  and  wintering  in  the  United  States  southward 

to  Cuba. 
Season — Winter  resident,  also   spring   and  summer  migrant  in 

United  States. 

The  Indians  of  Fraser  valley  tell  a  story  of  two  men  in  one 
of  their  tribes  who  began  to  discuss  whether  the  whistling  noise 
made  by  this  duck  was  produced  by  its  wings  or  by  the  air  rush- 
ing through  its  nostrils.  The  discussion  waxed  warm  and  furious, 
and  soon  others  joined  in.  Sides  were  taken,  one  side  claiming 
that  the  drakes,  with  their  larger  nostrils,  make  a  louder  noise  than 
their  mates,  and  that  the  scoters,  which  also  have  large  nostrils, 
make  a  similar  whistling  sound  when  flying.-  The  other  side  con- 
tended that  whereas  the  wings  of  all  ducks  whistle  more  or  less, 
the  incessant  beating  of  the  golden-eye's  short,  stiff  wings,  that 
cut  the  air  like  a  knife,  would  account  for  the  louder  music. 
Before  long  the  entire  crowd  became  involved  in  the  dispute; 
tomahawks  were  brandished  and  a  free  fight  followed,  according 
to  Allan  Brooks,  in  which  a  majority  of  the  warriors  were  killed 
without  settling  the  question — an  excellent  story  for  the  Peace 
Societies. 

Pale  Faces,  backed  by  scientific  investigation,  take  sides  with 
the  wing  whistler  party.  The  golden-eye,  in  spite  of  its  short, 
heavy  body  and  small  wings,  covers  immense  distances,  ninety 
miles  an  hour  being  the  speed  Audubon  credited  it  with,  and  a  half 
mile  the  distance  at  which  he  distinctly  heard  the  whistle.  Al- 
though the  drake,  at  least/  has  every  requisite  in  his  vocal  organs 
for  making  a  noise,  and  the  specific  name,  clangula,  entitles  him 
to  a  voice,  it  has  never  been  lifted  in  our  presence.  But  then 
this  duck  has  been  very  little  studied  in  its  nesting  grounds, 
where,  if  ever,  a  bird  gives  utterance  to  any  *pent-up  emotion. 
In  the  desolate  fur  countries  at  the  far  north  of  Europe  and 
America,  the  golden-eye  duck  makes  a  nest  in  a  stump  or  hollow 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

tree,  close  by  the  lake  or  river  side,  and  covers  over  her  large  clutch 
of  pale  bluish  eggs  with  down  from  her  breast.  As  usual  in  the 
duck  tribe,  the  drake  avoids  all  nursery  duties  by  joining  a  club 
of  males  that  disport  themselves  at  leisure  during  the  summer 
moult. 

Wonderfully  expert  swimmers  and  divers,  their  fully  webbed 
feet,  that  make  these  accomplishments  possible,  so  interfere  with 
their  progress  on  land  that  they  visit  it  only  rarely.  One  can  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  broad  webs  slap  the  ground,  as,  with  wings  partly 
distended  to  help  keep  a  balance,  the  golden-eye  labors  awk- 
wardly on  by  jerks  to  reach  the  water,  where  not  even  the  loon 
is  more  at  home.  As  the  golden-eye's  flesh  is  rank  and  fishy  and 
tough,  owing  to  the  small  proportion  of  vegetable  food  it  eats, 
and  the  large  amount  of  exercise  it  must  take  to  secure  active 
prey,  there  can  be  no  excuse  for  the  sportsman's  hunting  it;  and, 
happily,  there  is  apt  to  be  scant  reward  for  his  efforts. 

Exceedingly  shy  and  wary,  with  a  sentinel  on  the  constant 
lookout,  and  associated  only  with  those  ducks  that  are  as  quick 
to  take  alarm  as  themselves,  the  whistlers  are  among  the  most 
difficult  birds  to  approach.  They  dive  at  the  slightest  fear,  swim 
under  water  like  a  fish,  or,  bounding  upward  with  a  few  labored 
strokes  from  the  surface  of  the  lake,  make  off  at  a  speed  and  at  a 
height  the  tyro  need  not  hope  to  overtake  with  a  shot.  During 
the  late  autumn  migration  the  males  precede  their  discarded  mates 
and  young  by  a  fortnight.  They  continue  abundant  around  many 
parts  of  our  country,  inland  and  on  the  coast,  and  enliven  the 
winter  desolation  after  most  other  birds  have  deserted  us  for 
warmer  climes. 

Barrow's  Golden-eye  (Glaucionetta  islandica),  a  more 
northern  species,  that  is  often  seen  in  the  west,  may  scarcely  be 
told  from  the  common  whistler  either  in  features  or  habits.  A 
crescent-shaped  white  spot  at  the  base  of  the  bill  of  the  drake 
and  more  purplish  iridescence  on  his  head  are  his  distinguish- 
ing marks ;  but  the  small  females  of  these  two  species  are  be- 
lieved to  be  identical.  In  the  region  of  the  salmon  canneries 
these  ducks  lose  some  of  their  native  shyness  and  boldly  gorge 
themselves  on  the  decaying  fish.  Allan  Brooks  writes  that  "the 
note  is  a  hoarse  croak."  Doubtless  the  common  golden-eye 
makes  some  such  noise  also,  or  that  close  student,  Charles 

123 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

Bonaparte,  would  never  have  named  it  clangula.  "They  have 
also  a  peculiar  mewling  cry,"  Brooks  adds,  "made  only  by  the 
males  in  the  mating  season." 


Bufflehead 

(Cbaritonetta  albeola) 

Called  also:   BUTTER-BALL;   BUTTER-BOX;    SPIRIT  DUCK; 
LITTLE  DIPPER;  BUFFALO-HEADED  DUCK. 

Length — 13.5010  15  inches. 

Male — A  broad  white  band  running  from  eye  to  eye  around  the 
nape  of  neck;  rest  of  head  with  puffy  feathers,  and,  like  those 
on  throat,  beautifully  glossed  with  purple,  blue,  and  green 
iridescence.  Other  upper  parts  black;  neck  all  around, 
wings  chiefly,  and  under  parts  wholly,  white.  Bill  dull  blue; 
feet  flesh  color. 

Female — Blackish  brown  above,  with  white  streak  on  each  side 
of  head;  whitish  below.  Smaller  than  male. 

Range — North  America  at  large,  nesting  from  Dakota,  Iowa,  and 
Maine  northward  to  the  fur  countries;  winters  from  the 
southern  limit  of  its  nesting  range,  or  near  it,  to  Mexico  and 
the  West  Indies. 

Season — Transient  spring  and  autumn  visitor,  or  winter  resident 
from  November  to  April. 

Not  even  a  grebe  or  loon  is  more  expert  at  diving  "like  a 
flash  "  than  this  handsome  little  duck.  Samuels  says  that  "  when 
several  of  these  birds  are  together  one  always  remains  on  the 
surface  while  the  others  are  below  in  search  of  food,  and  if 
alarmed  it  utters  a  short  quack,  when  the  others  rise  to  the  surface, 
and  on  ascertaining  the  cause  of  alarm  all  dive  and  swim  off 
rapidly  to  the  distance  of  several  hundred  feet." 

A  bufflehead  overtakes  and  eats  little  fish  under  water  or 
equally  nimble  insects  on  the  surface,  probes  the  muddy  bottom 
of  the  lake  for  small  shell  fish,  nibbles  the  sea-wrack  and  other 
vegetable  growth  of  the  salt-water  inlets,  all  the  while  toughen- 
ing its  flesh  by  constant  exercise  and  making  it  rank  by  a  fishy 
diet,  until  none  but  the  hungriest  of  sportsmen  care  to .  bag  it. 
Yet  this  duck  is  more  than  commonly  suspicious  and  shy.  It  will 
remain  just  below  the  surface,  with  only  its  nostrils  exposed  to  the 

124 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

air,  for  an  hour  after  a  severe  fright,  rather  than  expose  its  fat  little 
body,  that  it  prizes  more  highly  than  do  those  who  know  its  worth. 
In  any  case  a  shot  is  more  likely  to  stun  than  to  kill  a  buffle- 
head,  that,  like  most  other  diving  birds,  is  armored  with  a  thick, 
well-nigh  impenetrable  suit  of  feathers.  It  may  fall  as  if  mortally 
wounded,  but  the  cold  water  usually  revives  it  at  once,  and  the 
expectant  gunner  looks  for  his  victim  many  yards  from  where  it 
is  safely  recovering  from  its  recent  excitement. 

Because  it  can  so  illy  protect  itself  on  land,  for  it  is  a 
wretched  walker,  and  doubtless  also  because  it  chooses  to  nest  in 
countries  where  the  fox  and  other  appreciative  eaters  of  its  flesh 
abound,  the  bufflehead  enters  a  hollow  tree  to  lay  her  light  buff 
or  olive  eggs.  Here  she  sits,  often  in  the  dark,  for  four  weary 
weeks,  quite  ignored  by  the  mate  that  in  February  almost  bobbed 
his  head  off  in  his  frantic  efforts  to  woo  her.  It  is  she  that  must 
carry  the  large  brood  of  ducklings  in  her  bill  to  the  water,  teach 
them  all  she  knows  on  it,  and  count  herself  well  rewarded  if  her 
plumpest  babies  do  not  fall  into  the  jaws  of  a  pike  ready  to 
swallow  the  little  divers,  but  are  spared  to  migrate  with  her  to 
open  waters  when  the  ice  locks  up  their  food  at  the  north. 


Old  Squaw 

(Clangula  byemalis) 

Called  also.-  OLD  WIFE;  SOUTH-SOUTHERLY;  LONG-TAILED 
DUCK;  OLD  INJUN;  SCOLDER;  OLD  MOLLY;  OLD 
BILLY;  COCKAWEE 

Length — Variable,  according  to  development  of  tail — 18  to  23 
inches. 

Male — In  winter :  Blackish  on  back,  breast,  and  tail,  whose  four 
middle  feathers  are  long  and  narrow;  sides  of  the  head 
grayish  brown ;  rest  of  head,  neck  all  around,  upper  back, 
shoulders,  and  underneath,  white ;  no  speculum  on  grayish 
wings.  Bill  with  large  orange-colored  patch;  feet  dusky 
blue;  In  summer:  Sides  of  head  white;  top  of  head,  throat, 
breast  above  and  below,  back  and  shoulders,  black;  white 
underneath.  Tail  longer  than  in  winter. 

Female — No  elongated  feathers  in  tail,  which  consists  of  four- 
teen feathers  coming  to  a  point;  head,  neck,  and  upper 
parts,  dusky  brown,  with  grayish  patch  around  the  eye  and 
one  on  side  of  neck;  breast  grayish,  shading  to  white  below; 
125 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

the  feathers  on  the  upper  parts  more  or  less  edged  with  buff 

in  summer. 
Range — "  In  North  America,  south  to  the  Potomac  and  the  Ohio 

(more  rarely  to  Florida  and  Texas)  and  California;  breeds 

northward."— A.  O.  U. 
Season — Common  winter   resident   in    northern   United  States; 

November  to  April. 

Like  a  crowd  of  gossiping  old  women  these  ducks  gabble 
and  scold  among  themselves  all  the  year  round,  for  in  winter, 
when  most  voices  are  hushed,  they  are  the  noisiest  birds  that 
visit  us.  In  summer,  they  nest  so  far  north  that  none  but  Arctic 
travellers  may  hope  to  study  them.  Mr.  George  Clarke,  of  the 
Peary  expedition,  writes  of  "the  old  squaw's  clanging  call" 
ringing  out  from  the  drifting  ice  cakes  where  the  drakes  glided 
about  at  no  great  distance  from  their  brooding  mates.  South, 
south,  southerly,  is  the  cry  some  people  with  more  lively  imag- 
inations than  accuracy  of  ear  have  heard ;  but  the  Indians  were 
nearer  right  when  they  "called  down"  this  high  flyer  with  a 
hah-ha-way,  part  of  the  full  cry  written  by  Mr.  Mackay  as  o-onc- 
o-onc-ough,  egh-ough-egh.  The  other  part  is  not  very  different 
from  the  honk  of  a  goose.  Most  of  the  duck's  popular  names, 
as  well  as  its  scientific  one,  allude  to  its  noisy,  talkative  habit. 
At  evening,  and  toward  spring  when  the  choice  of  mates  in- 
volves great  discussion  and  quarrelling,  they  make  more  noise 
than  perhaps  all  our  other  sea  fowl  combined. 

The  plumage  of  this  duck  varies  so  much  with  age,  season, 
and  sex,  that  it  is  well  we  have  some  pronounced  characteristics 
to  help  us  in  naming  our  bird  correctly.  The  long  tail  feathers 
of  the  drake  are  its  most  striking  feature ;  but  the  obscure-looking 
duck  has  little  to  distinguish  her  from  the  female  harlequin, 
except  her  white  abdomen,  which  is  usually  concealed  under 
water. 

When  migrating  from  the  icy  regions  that  they  haunt  after 
all  other  ducks  have  left  for  the  south,  the  old  squaws  proceed 
by  degrees  no  faster  than  Jack  Frost  compels ;  so  that  in  season 
as  in  plumage  they  are  apt  to  be  exceedingly  variable,  an  open 
winter  keeping  them  north  until  late,  and  a  cold  autumn  driving 
them  from  the  ice-bound  waters  to  seek  their  fish,  mollusks,  and 
water  wrack  in  the  -open  channels  of  our  larger  lakes  and  rivers 
and  the  inlets  of  the  sea.  Maritime  ducks  these  certainly  are  by 

126 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

preference;  famous  divers  and  swimmers;  strong,  swift  flyers; 
noisy,  restless,  lively  fellows,  that  live  in  a  state  of  happy  commo- 
tion; gregarious  at  all  seasons,  and  strongly  in  evidence  where- 
ever  they  find  their  way. 

There  can  be  no  excuse  for  killing  these  fish  eaters  for  their 
flesh,  which  is  rank  and  apparently  in  the  very  prime  of  tough- 
ness throughout  their  stay  here;  but  they  are  clothed  with  par- 
ticularly thick,  fine,  lively  feathers  that  are  in  great  demand  for 
pillows.  These  form  an  almost  invulnerable  armor  one  would 
think,  yet  great  quantities  of  old  squaws'  down  and  feathers  are 
bought  by  upholsterers  every  year.  At  the  north  the  mother 
herself  pulls  out  some  of  her  feathers  to  cover  her  pale  bluish 
eggs,  concealed  in  a  rude  nest  in  grasses  or  under  some  low  bush 
near  the  shore.  When  wounded,  as  the  duck  flies  low  and  very 
swiftly  along  the  water,  it  instantly  dives  from  the  wing,  accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Mackay.  He  tells  of  seeing  many  of  them  towering, 
"usually  in  the  afternoon,  collecting  in  mild  weather  in  large 
flocks  if  undisturbed,  and  going  up  in  circles  so  high  as  to  be 
scarcely  discernible,  often  coming  down  with  a  rush  and  great 
velocity,  a  portion  of  the  flock  scattering  and  coming  down  in  a 
zig-zag  course  similar  to  the  scoters  when  whistled  down." 

The  Harlequin  Duck  ( Histrionicus  histrionicus),  also  called 
Lords  and  Ladies,  comes  down  to  our  more  northern  coasts  of  sea 
and  large  inland  lakes  only  when  ice  has  closed  its  feeding 
grounds  at  the  north ;  but  no  clanging  call  invites  our  attention 
when  these  gay  masqueraders  appear  on  the  scene,  tricked  out  in 
black,  white,  blue,  and  reddish  brown  applied  in  stripes  and 
spots;  and  as  they  keep  well  out  from  shore  to  hunt  in  our  open 
waters,  few  get  a  good  look  at  their  fantastic  coats  before  they 
return  to  the  north  to  nest.  The  female  can  scarcely  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  female  old  squaw,  except  by  her  dusky 
under  parts.  A  harlequin's  flesh  is  dark  and  unpalatable,  for 
fishy  food  is  its  staple,  and  no  one  not  hard  pressed  by  hunger 
would  care  to  eat  it.  From  the  characteristics  of  habit  that  dis- 
tinguish all  ducks  of  this  subfamily,  the  harlequin  differs  little, 
except  in  living  near  rushing,  dashing  streams  of  the  Rocky  and 
Sierra  Nevada  mountains  and  northward  during  the  nesting  season. 
Six  or  more  yellowish  or  greenish  buff  eggs  are  laid  in  hollow 
stumps  near  the  water;  and  the  fact  that  the  young  ducklings 

127 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

are  not  swept  away  by  the  swift  current  of  the  stream  they 
take  to  and  live  on,  without  returning  to  the  nest  once  it  is  left, 
testifies  to  the  remarkable  propelling  power  of  their  feet.  These 
ducks  are  most  expert  divers,  too,  and  when  alarmed  will  plunge 
like  a  grebe,  and  swim  under  water  to  parts  unknown. 

American  Eider 

(Somateria  dresseri) 

Called  also:  SEA  DUCK 

Length — 23  inches. 

Male — Upper  parts  white,  except  the  crown  of  head,  which  is 
black,  with  a  greenish  white  line  running  into  it  from  behind 
and  a  greenish  tinge  on  the  feathers  at  sides  of  back  of  head. 
Upper  breast  white  with  a  reddish  blush;  lower  breast  and 
all  under  parts,  including  tail  above  and  below,  black. 

Female — Upper  parts  buffy  brown,  streaked  and  varied  with  darker 
brown  and  black;  back  darkest;  breast  yellow  buff,  barred 
with  black,  and  shading  into  grayish  brown,  indistinctly  mar- 
gined with  buff  underneath. 

Range — Nests  around  Nova  Scotia  and  Labrador,  migrating  south- 
ward in  winter  to  New  England  and  the  Great  Lakes,  more 
rarely  south  to  Delaware. 

Season — Winter  visitor. 

When  resting  under  our  down  coverlets  on  a  winter  night, 
or  tucked  about  with  pillows  on  the  divan  of  a  modern  drawing- 
room,  how  many  of  us  give  a  thought  to  the  duck  that  has  been 
robbed  of  her  soft  warm  feathers  for  our  comfort,  or  take  the 
trouble  to  make  her  acquaintance  when  she  brings  the  brood  that 
were  despoiled  of  their  bedding  to  furnish  ours  to  visit  our  coast 
in  winter  ?  It  may  be  said  in  extenuation  of  our  apparent  indif- 
ference that  eiders  keep  well  out  at  sea,  and  come  at  a  season 
when  boating  ceases  to  be  a  pleasure.  Then,  too,  there  is  little 
to  interest  one  during  the  winter  in  a  bird  whose  chief  concern 
appears  to  be  deep  diving.  It  is  on  the  constant  errand  of  getting 
mussels  and  other  fish  food  which  the  saddle-back  gull  often 
snatches  from  it  at  the  end  of  an  unequal  race  if  the  duck,  does 
not  end  it  suddenly  by  plunging  under  water.  It  is  to  Labrador 
and  the  north  Atlantic  islands  that  one  must  go  to  know  this  bird 

128 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

at  home,  and  most  of  us  are  willing  to  do  such  travelling  in  the 
easy  chairs  of  our  library. 

Before  these  ducks  have  left  our  shores  in  March,  courting 
has  already  begun;  sharp  contests  occur,  and  the  vanauished  or 
superannuated  males  wander  about  in  milder  climates  than  the 
mated  lovers  fly  to.  Though  no  drake  may  be  credited  with 
great  depth  of  feeling  for  his  mate,  the  eider  goes  to  the  extreme 
of  helping  her  make  a  nest  of  moss  and  seaweed  among  the 
rocks  or  low  bushes  under  stunted  fir  trees,  and  will  even  pluck 
the  down  from  his  own  breast  to  cover  the  eggs  when  hers  has 
been  persistently  robbed.  Ha-ho,  ha-ho,  he  half  moans,  half  coos, 
in  a  lackadaisical  tone  to  the  busy  housewife  who  replies  with 
a  matter-of-fact  quack,  like  any  prosaic  barnyard  duck.  Until 
the  last  one  of  her  bluish  or  olive  gray  eggs  is  laid,  the 
mother  plucks  no  down  from  her  breast  ;  but  she  will  continue 
to  lay,  and  to  cover  the  new  eggs  with  her  feathers,  several  times 
over  if  her  nest  is  robbed,  until  her  poor  breast  is  naked  and  the 
drake's  down  is  called  into  requisition.  According  to  Saunders 
the  average  yield  of  down  from  a  nest  in  Iceland,  where  the 
birds  are  encouraged  and  protected  by  law,  is  about  one-sixth 
of  a  pound.  The  gathering  of  these  live  feathers,  as  they  are 
called,  for  no  one  thinks  of  killing  this  valuable  bird  or  its  allies 
to  take  their  down  which  loses  its  elasticity  after  death,  is 
an  important  industry  in  the  northern  countries  of  Europe  ;  but 
the  industry  is  neglected  and  unintelligently  managed  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic.  When  all  the  eggs  and  down  are  taken  from 
a  nest  repeatedly,  the  desoairing  birds  abandon  it  for  more  re- 
mote parts,  and  never  return :  whereas  hope  eternally  springs  in 
a  breast  even  where  feathers  do  not,  if  an  egg  or  two  are  left  the 
mother.  Audubon  found  large  colonies  of  the  American  eider 
nesting  in  Labrador  in  April,  and  gathered  some  fresh  eggs  for 
food  in  May,  when  ice  was  still  thick  in  the  rivers.  He  found 
both  ravens  and  the  larger  gulls  prowling  about  the  coast  ready 
to  suck  the  eggs  and  carry  off  the  ducklings  before  they  had 
mastered  the  art  of  diving  out  of  harm's  reach. 

While  the  females  sit  uoon  their  nests  the  drakes  withdraw 
for  a  thorough  moult,  which  leaves  them  so  bare  of  feathers  in 
July  that  they  are  sometimes  unable  to  fly.  Henceforth  they  live 
apart,  he  in  flocks  of  males,  she  with  small  companies  of  mothers 
with  their  broods,  which  latter  are  usually  the  flocks  that  visit 
9  I29 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

us  in  winter,  for  the  hardy  old  drakes  do  not  often  migrate  so  far 
south.  By  August  ice  has  begun  to  form  over  their  northern 
fishing  grounds,  and  the  flocks  move  a  degree  nearer  us,  flying 
swiftly  and  powerfully  in  a  direct  course,  not  far  above  the  water, 
and  almost  never  over  land. 


American  Scoter 

(Oidemia  americana) 

Called  also:    BLACK,    OR    SEA    COOT; 

SCOTER;     BUTTER-BILLED    COOT;     BROAD-BILLED 
COOT. 

Length — 19  to  20  inches. 

Male — Entire  plumage  black,  more  glossy  above.  Upper  half  of 
bill,  which  is  tumid,  or  bulging,  is  yellow  or  orange  at  the 
base. 

Female — Sooty  brown  above,  waved  with  obscure  dusky  lines; 
throat  and  sides  of  head  whitish;  dirty  white  underneath; 
bill  dark,  but  not  bulging  nor  parti-colored.  Young  resem- 
ble the  mother. 

Range — Seacoasts  and  large  bodies  of  inland  waters  of  northern 
North  America;  nesting  from  Labrador  inland,  and  migrat- 
ing in  winter  to  New  England  and  the  Middle  Atlantic  States 
and  to  California. 

Season — Winter  resident  and  visitor. 

The  three  species  of  coots,  or  scoters,  that  come  out  of  the 
north  to  visit  us  in  winter  have  neither  fine  feathers  nor  edible 
flesh  to  recommend  them  to  popular  notice;  nor  do  they  seem  to 
possess  any  unique  traits  of  character  or  singular  habits  to  excite 
our  lively  interest.  Their  chief  concern  in  life  appears  to  be 
diving  for  mussels,  clams,  small  fry,  and  mollusks  in  the  estuaries 
of  rivers  and  shallow  sounds  along  our  coasts.  Some  go  to  large 
bodies  of  inland  waters  for  the  same  purpose.  As  this  active 
exercise  toughens  their  muscles  to  a  leather-like  quality,  and  as 
the  fish  food  gives  their  reddish,  dark  flesh,  a  rank  flavor,  the 
poultry  dealer  who  sells  one  of  these  birds  to  an  uninitiated 
housekeeper  for  black  duck  loses  a  customer. 

Most  friendly  with  its  own  kin,  the  American  coot  may 
usually  be  found  in  flocks  of  white-winged  and  surf  scoters 

130 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

eiders,  and  other  sea  ducks,  where  they  congregate  above  beds  of 
shell  fish  ;  and,  at  least  while  in  the  United  States,  the  habits 
of  all  these  birds  appear  to  be  identical.  But  they  are  as  shy 
of  men  as  if  their  breasts  were  covered  with  more  desirable 
meat,  and  dive  when  approached  rather  than  take  to  wing  and 
expose  their  precious  ugliness  to  an  unoffending  field-glass. 
Human  friendship  is  discouraged  by  them,  however  much  their 
long  list  of  common  names,  which  are  as  often  applied  to  one 
species  as  another,  falsely  testifies  to  their  popularity. 

Ridgway  describes  their  nests  as  on  the  ground,  near  water, 
and  containing  from  six  to  ten  pale  dull  buff  or  pale  brownish 
buff  eggs. 

The  White-winged  Scoter  or  Coot  (Oidemia  deglandi), 
which  is  sometimes  called  Velvet  Duck,  differs  from  the  preced- 
ing in  plumage  only,  in  having  a  white  patch  under  the  eye, 
a  white  mirror,  or  speculum,  on  wings,  and  orange-colored  legs, 
much  the  same  shade  as  its  protuberant  bill,  which  is  feathered 
beyond  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  Possibly  it  goes  farther  away 
from  water  than  the  other  scoters  to  place  its  nest  under  a  bush 
on  the  ground,  but  the  habits  of  all  three  species  appear  to  be 
generally  the  same,  and  like  those  of  nearly  all  sea  ducks. 

The  Surf  Scoter,  or  Sea  Coot  (Oidemia  perspicillata),  has  a 
square  white  mark  on  the  crown  of  its  head  and  a  triangular  one 
on  the  nape,  to  distinguish  it  from  its  sombre  and  rather  uninter- 
esting relatives. 

Ruddy    Duck. 

(Erismatura  rubida) 

Called  also— SPINE-TAILED    DUCK  ;  SALT    WATER  TEAL  ; 
DUN   BIRD 

Length — 15  to  17  inches. 

Male — In  summer :  Crown  of  head  and  nape  glossy  black  ;  chin 
and  sides  of  head  dull  white  ;  neck  all  around  and  upper 
parts  and  sides  of  body  rich  reddish  brown  ;  lower  parts 
white,  with  dusky  bars  ;  wing  coverts,  quills,  and  stiff- 
pointed  tail  feathers  darkest  brown  ;  head  small  ;  neck  thick. 
Bill,  which  is  as  long  as  head,  broader  at  tip  ;  wings  very 
131 


Sea  and  Bay  Ducks 

short,  and  without  speculum.  In  winter  the  drake  re- 
sembles female. 

Female — Upper  parts  dusky  grayish  brown,  the  feathers  rippled 
with  buff  ;  crown  and  nape  more  reddish,  and  streaked  with 
black  ;  sides  of  head  and  chin  white  ;  throat  gray  ;  under 
parts  white.  Young  resemble  mother. 

Range — North  America  at  large  ;  nesting  chiefly  north  of  the 
United  States,  but  also  locally  within  its  range  ;  winters  in 
the  United  States. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant ;  also  locally  a  winter  resi- 
dent. 

The  heavy  moult  this  drake  undergoes  after  he  deserts  his 
brooding  mate  transforms  him  into  an  obscure,  commonplace- 
looking  bird  from  the  faultlessly  attired  gallant  of  his  courting 
days  ;  so  that  when  the  ruddy  ducks  appear  on  our  inland  lakes  or 
the  estuaries  of  rivers,  shallow  bays,  and  ponds  near  the  sea,  there 
is  a  close  family  resemblance  between  both  the  parents  and  the 
young,  none  of  whom  seem  worthy  bearers  of  their  popular 
name.  But  however  inconspicuous  the  feathers,  this  duck  may 
always  be  named  by  its  stiff  tail  quills,  that  no  other  bird  but  a 
cormorant  can  match.  This  curious  tail,  which  is  used  as  a  rud- 
der under  water,  or  a  vertical  paddle,  is  carried  cocked  up  at  right 
angles  to  the  body  when  the  duck  floats  about  on  the  surface. 

Owing  to  the  ruddy  duck's  short  wings,  it  is  less  willing  to 
trust  its  safety  to  them  when  alarmed  than  most  ducks  are,  and 
it  will  quietly  dive  in  grebe  fashion,  and  drop  to  safe  depths  before 
swimming  out  of  range,  rather  than  depend  upon  the  awkward 
rising  from  the  surface,  that  must  be  struggled  through  before  it  is 
safely  launched  in  steady  though  labored  flight  along  the  water. 
Heading  against  the  wind,  it  at  first  seems  to  run  along  the  sur- 
face with  the  help  of  rapid  wing  beats,  before  it  is  able  to  clear 
the  water  ;  but  once  fairly  started,  it  flies  good  distances  and  at  a 
fair  speed.  In  figure  it  more  closely  resembles  a  plump,  squat 
teal  than  an  ordinary  sea  duck.  The  head  is  so  small  that  the 
skin  of  the  neck  can  be  easily  drawn  over  it. 

Tall  sedges  near  the  water's  edge  make  the  ideal  nesting  or 
hunting  resort  of  these  ducks,  that  feed  chiefly  on  eel  grass  and 
other  vegetable  matter  growing  either  above  or  below  the  water 
in  shallow  bays  and  inlets,  salt  or  fresh.  It  is  their  habit  to  drop 
into  these  grasses  when  surprised,  and  to  hide  among  them, 
which  is  one  reason  why  they  are  supposed  to  be  rare  ;  whereas 

132 


Sea  and  Bay  Duck? 

they  are  fairly  abundant,  though  often  unsuspected.  Numbers 
of  them  find  their  way  into  large  city  markets  every  winter; 
and  especially  in  the  Chesapeake  region,  or  where  wild  celery 
abounds,  their  flesh  is  tender  and  well  flavored.  Happily  the 
species  is  very  prolific.  Some  authorities  mention  finding  as  many 
as  twenty  yellowish  white,  rough  eggs  in  the  rude  nests  built  by 
the  marshy  lake  or  river  side  ;  but  ten  are  a  good-sized  clutch. 


133 


GEESE 

(Subfamily  Anserince) 

American  White-fronted  Goose 

(Anser  albifrons  gambeli) 

Called  also:  LAUGHING    GOOSE;    SPECKLE-BELLY;    GRAY 
BRANT;  PRAIRIE  BRANT. 

Length — 27  to  30  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  part  and  fore  neck  brownish  gray,  the 
edgings  of  the  feathers  lighter;  a  white  band  along  forehead 
and  base  of  bill  bordered  behind  by  blackish;  lower  back, 
nearest  the  tail,  almost  white;  wings  and  tail  dusky;  sides 
like  the  back;  breast  paler  than  throat,  and  marked,  like  the 
white  under  parts,  with  black  blotches;  bill  pink  or  pale  red; 
feet  yellow;  eyes  brown.  Immature  birds,  which  are  darker 
and  browner  than  adults,  lack  white  on  forehead  and  tail 
coverts,  also  the  black  patches  on  the  under  parts. 

Range — North  America;  rare  on  Atlantic  coast;  common  on  the 
Pacific  slope  and  in  the  interior;  nesting  in  the  far  north, 
and  wintering  in  the  United  States  southward  to  Mexico  and 
Cuba. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant  or  winter  resident  on  the 
plains  and  westward  to  the  Pacific. 

A  long,  clanging  cackle,  wah,  wah,  wah,  wah,  rapidly 
repeated,  rings  out  of  the  late  autumn  sky,  and  looking  up,  we 
see  a  long,  orderly  line  of  laughing  geese  that  have  been  feeding 
since  daybreak  in  the  stubble  of  harvested  grain  fields,  heading  a 
direct  course  for  the  open  water  of  some  lake.  With  heads 
thrust  far  forward,  these  flying  projectiles  go  through  space  with 
enviable  ease  of  motion.  Because  they  are  large  and  fly  high, 
they  appear  to  move  slowly ;  whereas  the  truth  is  that  all  geese, 
when  once  fairly  launched,  fly  rapidly,  which  becomes  evident 
enough  when  they  whiz  by  us  at  close  range.  It  is  only  when 
rising  against  the  wind  and  making  a  start  that  their  flight  is 


Geese 

actually  slow  and  difficult.  When  migrating,  they  often  trail 
across  the  clouds  like  dots,  so  high  do  they  go — sometimes  a 
thousand  feet  or  more,  it  is  said — as  if  they  spurned  the  earth. 
But  as  a  matter  of  fact  they  spend  a  great  part  of  their  lives  on 
land ;  far  more  than  any  of  the  ducks. 

On  reaching  a  point  above  the  water  when  returning  from 
the  feeding  grounds,  the  long  defile  closes  up  into  a  mass.  The 
geese  now  break  ranks,  and  each  for  itself  goes  wheeling  about, 
cackling  constantly,  as  they  sail  on  stiff,  set  wings;  or,  diving, 
rumbling,  turning  somersaults  downward,  and  catching  them- 
selves before  they  strike  the  water,  form  an  orderly  array  again, 
and  fly  silently,  close  along  the  surface  quite  a  distance  before 
finally  settling  down  upon  it  softly  to  rest. 

Such  a  performance  must  be  gone  through  twice  a  day,  once 
after  their  breakfast,  begun  at  daybreak,  and  again  in  the  late 
afternoon,  on  their  return  from  their  inland  excursion,  which  may 
be  to  stubble  fields,  or  to  low,  wet,  timbered  country,  or  to  bushy 
prairie  lands.  Not  only  the  farmer's  cereals,  but  any  sort  of  wild 
grain  and  grasses,  berries,  and  leaf  buds  of  bushes,  these  hearty 
vegetarians  nip  off  with  relish.  When  we  see  them  on  shallow 
waters,  with  tail  pointing  skyward  and  head  and  neck  immersed, 
they  are  probing  the  bottom  for  roots  of  water  plants,  particularly 
for  a  sort  of  eel-grass  that  they  fatten  on,  or  for  gravel,  and  are  not 
eating  mollusks  or  any  sort  of  animal  food,  as  is  sometimes  said. 

But  fatal  consequences  await  on  ducks  and  geese  alike  that 
do  not  know  enough  to  toughen  their  flesh  and  make  it  rank  by  9 
fish  diet.  White-fronted  geese,  delicious  game  birds  of  the  first 
order,  were  once  abundant  during  the  migrations  in  the  Chesa- 
peake country,  where  they  freely  associated  with  the  snow  goose 
and  the  Canada  species,  just  as  they  do  in  the  far  west  to-day ; 
but  the  sportsman  must  now  travel  to  the  Great  Lakes  or  the 
plains,  or,  better  still,  to  California,  their  favorite  winter  resort, 
if  he  would  see  a  good  sized  flight  above  the  stubble  fields,  in 
which,  hidden  in  a  hole,  and  with  flat  decoys  standing  all  about 
him,  he  waits,  cramped  and  breathless,  for  the  cackling  flock  to 
come  within  range. 

The  stupidity  of  this  bird  is  more  proverbial  than  real.  If 
any  one  doubts  this,  let  him  try  to  stalk  one  when  it  is  feeding  in 
the  fields,  or  listen  to  the  tales  of  woe  the  California  farmers  tell 
of  its  provoking  vigilance  and  cleverness. 


Geese 


Snow  Goose 

(Chen  hyperborea  ni-valis) 

Called  also :   WHITE     BRANT  ;     WAVEY  ;     BLUE-WINGED 
GOOSE 

Length — 27  to  35  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Entire  plumage  white,  except  the  ends  of 
wings,  which  are  blackish,  and  the  wing  coverts,  which  are 
grayish  ;  bill  carmine  ;  legs  dull  red.  Immature  birds  have 
feathers  of  upper  parts  grayish  with  white  edges. 

Range — North  America  at  large,  nesting  in  the  far  north  (exact 
sites  unknown),  and  migrating  to  the  United  States  to  pass 
the  winter.  More  abundant  in  the  interior  and  on  the  Pacific 
slope  than  on  the  Atlantic,  north  of  Virginia. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant,  April  and  October  ;  or 
winter  resident  in  milder  parts  of  the  United  States  to  Cuba. 

The  dullest  imagination  cannot  but  be  quickened  at  the  sight 
of  a  great  flock  of  these  magnificent  birds  streaming  across  the 
blue  of  an  October  sky  like  a  trail  of  fleecy  white  clouds.  Such 
a  sight  is  rare  indeed  to  people  on  the  Atlantic  coast  north  of  the 
Chesapeake;  but  in  the  Mississippi  valley  during  the  migrations,  on 
the  great  plains,  and  in  parts  of  California  all  winter,  fields  are 
whitened  by  them  as  by  a  sudden  fall  of  snow.  Lakes  in  Min- 
nesota may  still  be  seen  reflecting  their  glistening  whiteness  as 
if  snow  peaks  were  mirrored  there  ;  and  in  the  Sacramento  and 
San  Joaquin  valleys,  in  Oregon  and  beyond,  they  are  still  suf- 
ficiently abundant  to  be  hunted  on  horseback  by  the  indignant 
farmers,  who  see  no  beauty  in  their  plumage  to  compensate  them 
for  their  devasted  fields  of  winter  wheat  that  the  hungry  flocks 
nip  off  close  to  the  ground.  But  like  most  other  choice  game 
birds,  the  snow  goose  is  fast  disappearing.  Who  that  knows 
how  rapid  this  decrease  is  ever  expects  to  see  such  flocks  of 
these  superb  fowl  as  gladdened  the  eyes  of  Lewis  and  Clarke 
when  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Oregon  ? 

Closely  associated  with  the  white-fronted  and  the  Canada 
geese,  the  white  brant  may  be  named,  even  when  too  high  up  in 
the  sky  at  the  twilight  of  dawn  or  evening  for  us  to  see  its  dark- 
tipped  wings  and  'white  plumage,  by  the  higher  pitched,  noisier 
cackling  that  distinguishes  its  voice  from  that  of  the  laughing  goose 

136 


Geese 

and  the  mellow  honk  of  the  Canada  brant.  It  migrates  by  night 
and  day  ;  observes  punctual  meal  hours  like  the  the  rest  of  its 
kin  ;  keeps  a  sentinel  always  on  guard  while  it  feeds  in  the  grain 
fields  or  roots  among  the  rushes  on  the  tide-water  flats  and 
grassy  patches  bordering  streams  ;  circles,  gyrates,  tumbles,  and 
Hoats  above  the  water  on  returning  from  its  feeding  grounds. 
In  short,  it  behaves  quite  as  other  geese  do  when  intoxicated 
with  food. 

While  it  is  supposed  the  white  brant  nests  somewhere  in  the 
region  of  the  Barren  Grounds  between  the  Mackenzie  basin  and 
Greenland,  the  nest  and  eggs  are  still  unknown  in  that  little- 
visited  country  beyond  the  north  wind  (hyperboreus),  as  the 
bird's  name  indicates. 

The  Lesser  Snow  Goose  (Chen  hyperborea),  a  smaller  species, 
identical  in  plumage  with  the  preceding,  and  very  like  it  in  habits, 
nests  in  Alaska,  and  wanders  down  the  Pacific  coast  in  winter, 
eastward  to  the  Mississippi  and  southward  to  the  Gulf. 


Canada  Goose 

(Branta  canadensis) 

Called  also:— WILD  GOOSE;  GRAY  GOOSE  ;  HONKER 

Length — From   I  yard  to  43  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Head  and  neck  black,  a  broad  white  band  run- 
ning from  eye  to  eye  under  the  head  ;  mantle  over  back  and 
wings  grayish  brown,  the  edges  of  feathers  lightest ;  breast 
gray,  fading  to  soiled  white  underneath.  Female  paler  ;  tail, 
bill,  and  feet  black. 

Range — North  America  at  large  ;  nests  in  northern  parts  of  the 
United  States  and  in  the  British  possessions  ;  winters  south- 
ward to  Mexico. 

Season — Chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  migrant,  north  of  Washing- 
ton ;  although  a  few  remain  so  late  (December)  and  return  so 
early  (March)  they  may  almost  be  said  to  be  winter  resi- 
dents north  as  well  as  in  the  south.  The  most  abundant  and 
widely  distributed  of  all  our  wild  geese. 

Heralded  by  a  mellow  honk,  honk,  from  the  leader  of  a  flying 
wedge,  on  come  the  long-necked  wild  geese  from  their  northern 
nesting  grounds,  and  stream  across  the  sky  so  far  above  us  that 


Geese 

their  large  bodies  appear  like  two  lines  of  dark  dots  describing 
the  letter  V.  In  spite  of  their  height,  which  never  seems  as  great 
as  it  actually  is  because  of  the  goose's  large  size,  one  can  distinctly 
hear  the  honk  of  the  temporary  captain — some  heavy  veteran — 
answered  in  clearer,  deeper  tones,  as  the  birds  pass  above,  by  the 
rear  guardsmen  in  the  long  array  that  moves  with  impressive  uni- 
son across  the  clouds.  Often  the  fanning  of  their  wings  is  distinctly 
audible  too.  The  migration  of  all  birds  can  but  excite  wonder 
and  stir  the  imagination ;  but  that  of  the  wild  goose  embarked  on 
a  pilgrimage  of  several  thousand  miles,  made  often  at  night,  but 
chiefly  by  broad  daylight,  attracts  perhaps  the  most  attention. 
Sometimes  the  two  diverging  lines  come  together  into  one,  and 
a  serpent  seems  to  crawl  with  snake-like  undulations  across  the 
sky;  or,  again,  the  flock  in  Indian  file  shoots  straight  as  an  arrow. 
It  is  as  a  bird  of  passage  that  one  thinks  of  the  goose,  however 
well  one  knows  that  it  remains  resident  in  many  places  at  least 
a  part  of  the  winter. 

A  slow  drift  down  a  slope  of  a  mile  or  more,  on  almost 
motionless  wings,  brings  them  to  the  surface  with  majestic  grace, 
and  flying  low  until  the  precise  spot  is  reached  where  they  wish 
to  rest,  they  settle  on  the  water  with  a  heavy  splash.  Usually 
they  stop  flying  near  sunset  to  feed  on  the  eel-grass,  sedges,  roots 
of  aquatic  plants,  insects,  and  occasionally  on  small  fish,  or  on  the 
wheat,  corn,  and  other  grain  that  has  dropped  among  the  stubble 
in  the  farmer's  fields,  and  the  berries,  grass,  and  leaf  buds  they 
find  in  swamps  and  bushy  pastures.  Quantities  of  gravel  are 
swallowed  with  their  food.  After  a  good  supper  they  return  to 
the  water,  preferably  to  a  good-sized  lake,  to  sleep,  and  there  they 
float  about  with  head  tucked  under  wing  until  daybreak,  when 
another  flight  must  be  made  inland  to  secure  a  breakfast.  These 
two  regular  daily  flights  are  characteristic  of  all  the  geese. 

Such  punctuality  at  meals  is  confidently  reckoned  upon  by 
the  sportsman,  who  is  thereby  saved  unnecessary  waiting  as  he 
crouches,  cramped  and  cold,  in  a  pit  among  the  stubble  and  con- 
cealed by  a  blind.  These  holes  are  about  thirty  inches  in  diam- 
eter and  about  forty  inches  in  depth.  There  are  no  birds  with 
keener,  more  suspicious  eyes;  no  sentinel  of  a  flock  more  on  the 
alert,  unless  it  be  the  sandhill  crane,  that  often  feeds  with  them 
and  is  their  ally  ;.  no  game  birds  more  wary  when  the  sports- 
man tries  to  stalk  them  than  these;  and  so  no  one  can  possibly 

138 


Geese 

appreciate  the  expression  "a.  wild  goose  chase"  who  has  not 
hunted  them.  The  goose  is  by  no  means  the  dolt  tradition  says 
it  is.  The  ordinary  methods  of  hunting  water-fowl  do  not 
answer  with  it,  and  in  different  parts  of  the  country  a  different 
ruse  is  practiced  to  secure  its  flesh.  Strangely  enough,  ducks 
and  geese  alike,  that  are  thrown  into  a  state  of  panic  at  sight  of  a 
man  or  dog,  show  no  fear  whatever  of  cows;  and  taking  advan- 
tage of  this  fact,  gunners  often  hide  behind  cattle,  or  lead  a  horse 
or  an  ox  to  get  within  range.  On  the  great  plains  and  in  Cali- 
fornia, oxen  trained  for  the  purpose  screen  the  hunters  on  horse- 
back, and  walk  straight  into  the  flocks  of  Canada,  snow,  and 
laughing  geese  that  have  been  lured  by  live  or  artificial  decoys 
placed  in  some  good  feeding  ground.  Geese  are  not  only  gre- 
garious, but  extremely  sociable  to  their  kin  and  to  other  birds  as 
quick  to  take  alarm  as  they.  A  constant  gabbling  goose-talk  is 
overheard  wherever  they  congregate,  like  members  of  a  country 
sewing  society. 

And  yet  these  wary  creatures  have  been  successfully  domes- 
ticated and  crossed  with  the  common  barnyard  goose.  Many 
stories  are  in  circulation  of  wild  geese  that  have  been  wounded, 
and  placed  among  the  farmer's  fowls,  where  they  have  been 
made  well  and  apparently  content  until  a  flock  of  migrants, 
passing  above,  called  them  to  a  wild  life  again;  but  the  very 
birds  that  could  be  easily  identified  by  the  scars  of  old  wounds, 
revisited  the  barnyard  whenever  their  travels  to  and  from  the 
south  permitted.  All  geese  become  strongly  attached  to  cer- 
tain localities.  Ordinarily,  a  goose  that  has  been  wounded  in  the 
wing  runs,  if  on  land,  but  so  awkwardly  it  may  be  quickly  over- 
taken. If  wounded  when  above  or  on  the  water,  it  will  dive, 
and  remain  under  the  surface  with  only  its  nostrils  exposed  until 
all  danger  is  over.  Unless  seriously  hurt,  it  generally  eludes  cap- 
ture. The  thick  coat  of  feathers,  that  have  an  even  greater  com- 
mercial value  than  its  flesh,  is  the  goose's  suit  of  armor,  impene- 
trable except  at  close  range. 

When  surprised,  a  flock  rises  suddenly  in  great  confusion ; 
the  large  birds  get  in  one  another's  way  and  offer  the  easiest 
shots  the  tyro  ever  gets;  the  honk,  honk,  k'wonk  from  many 
outstretched  throats  clamoring  at  once  mingles  with  the  roar  of 
wings*  as  with  slow,  heavy,  labored  flight  the  geese  rise  against 
the  wind — the  point  from  which  they  must  be  approached  if  one 

139 


Geese 

is  to  get  a  good  view  of  them.  But  order  somehow  comes 
speedily  out  of  chaos  once  the  birds  are  well  launched  in  air. 
Double  ranks  are  formed,  with  the  leader  at  the  point  where  the 
two  lines  converge,  and  the  wedge  moves  on,  far  away  if  they 
have  been  terrorized  by  firing,  but  only  a  few  hundred  yards  if 
they  find  there  is  no  real  ground  for  fear. 

Flocks  of  wild  geese  go  and  come  in  the  United  States  from 
September,  when  the  young  birds  are  able  to  join  in  the  long 
flights,  until  early  spring,  when  the  great  majority  go  north  to 
nest.  In  some  secluded  marsh,  by  the  shores  of  streams,  or  on 
the  open  prairie,  far  from  the  habitations  of  hungry  men,  the 
goose  lays  four  or  five  pale  buff  eggs  in  a  mass  of  sticks  lined 
with  grass  and  feathers,  and  sits  very  closely,  while  the  gander 
keeps  guard  near  by.  An  empty  osprey's  nest  in  a  tree  top, 
or  a  cavity  in  some  old  stump,  frequently  contains  these  eggs; 
but  the  goslings  never  return  to  the  cradle  once  they  have  been 
led  to  water,  for  they  are  good  walkers  and  swimmers  from  the 
start.  After  a  thorough  moult,  which  often  makes  the  old  birds 
as  incapable  of  flying  as  the  goslings,  the  detached  families  gather 
into  flocks  in  September,  when  a  few  cold  snaps  in  the  Hudson 
Bay  region  suggest  the  necessity  for  migrating  to  warmer  climes. 
On  their  arrival  here  they  are  very  thin,  worn  out  by  the  long 
journey;  but  the  Christmas  goose,  as  every  housekeeper  knows, 
is  perhaps  the  fattest  bird  brought  to  her  kitchen. 


Brant 

(Branta  hernicla) 

Called  also:  BRENT;  BRANT  GOOSE;  AND  BARNACLE  GOOSE 

Length — 26  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Head,  neck,  throat,  and  upper  breast  and 
shoulders  blackish,  with  a  small  patch  of  white  streaks  on 
either  side  of  neck,  sometimes  also  on  chin  and  lower  eyelid; 
back  brownish  gray,  the  feathers  margined  with  ashy ;  lower 
breast  ashy  gray,  ending  abruptly  at  the  line  of  black  of  the 
upper  breast;  sides  dark,  but  fading  into  white  underneath; 
much  white  around  tail;  bill  and  feet  black.  Female  smaller 
than  gander.  Immature  birds  have  no  white  patch  oh  neck, 
and  plumage  above  and  below  is  barred  or  waved  with  reddish 
brown. 

140 


Geese 

Range — Arctic  sea,  nesting  within  the  Arctic  Circle,  to  the  Caro- 
linas  in  winter.  Most  common  on  Atlantic  coast;  rare  in  the 
interior. 

Season— Winter  resident,  or  spring  and  autumn  migrant  in  the 
United  States. 

Flocks  of  brants  continue  to  fly  southward  down  the  Atlantic 
coast  from  October  until  December,  some  alighting  on  muddy 
flats  around  the  estuaries  of  rivers  and  creeks,  on  sand  bars  and 
in  shallow  inlets,  to  feed  on  eel-grass  and  other  marine  plants; 
but  the  majority  passing  rapidly  by  the  shores  of  Canada  and  our 
northern  states.  High  flyers,  sea  lovers,  they  keep  well  out 
from  land  during  the  migrations  rather  than  follow  the  coast  line, 
if  any  distance  may  be  saved  by  a  bee  line  from  point  to  point. 
It  is  only  in  hazy  weather  that  they  fly  low.  A  reconnoitre  by 
the  veterans  must  first  be  made  after  the  confused  mass  of  hoarse 
gabblers  rises  from  the  feeding  grounds ;  but  after  this  spiral  soar- 
ing has  ended  and  the  birds  are  once  fairly  started  on  their  jour- 
ney, neither  pause  nor  uncertainty  may  be  detected  in  their 
steady  flight.  They  fly  in  more  compact  bodies  than  the  long- 
drawn-out  wedges  of  Canada  geese;  no  leader  appears  to  direct 
their  course,  yet  the  mass  moves  as  one  bird,  slowly  and  sedately. 
Some  one  has  compared  the  trumpet-like  sounds  made  by  a  flock 
of  brants  with  the  noise  of  a  pack  of  fox-hounds  in  full  cry. 
Occasionally  these  geese  are  found  in  the  interior,  for  all  their 
strong  maritime  preferences;  but  usually  it  is  the  black  brant  that 
is  mistaken  for  them  there  and  on  the  Pacific  slope. 

On  Long  Island  and  southward  these  dusky  waders  walk 
about  at  low  tide,  tearing  up  eel-grass  by  the  roots  when  they 
enter  the  marshes  to  feed  in  gabbling,  honking  companies. 
Watched  from  a  distance — for  a  close  approach,  no  matter  how 
stealthy,  frightens  these  wary  birds  to  wing — they  appear  rather 
sluggish  and  move  heavily  over  the  mud  flats,  nipping  every 
plant  that  grows  in  their  path.  Youthful  gunners  constantly 
mistake  them  for  some  of  the  larger  sea-ducks  and  wonder  that 
they  do  not  dive  for  food.  Brants  never  dive  unless  wounded. 
While  the  tide  is  out  they  feed  constantly,  stopping  only  to 
gabble  and  gossip,  and  quarrel  from  excessive  greediness,  with 
the  result  of  being  too  heavy  and  lazy  with  much  gorging  to  fly 
out  to  sea  when  the  tide  comes  in  and  lifts  them  off  their  feet. 
After  sundown  they  go  streaming  in  long  lines  out  to  deep,  open 

141 


Geese 

water  to  pass  the  night  afloat.  Certain  localities  become  favorite 
stopping  places  for  these  birds  of  passage,  and  they  return  to 
them  year  after  year,  unless  harassed  by  the  gunners  beyond  en- 
durance; but  such  resorts  become  rarer  every  season.  In  early 
winter  the  young  of  the  year  are  as  delicious  a  game  bird  as 
finds  its  way  to  the  gunner's  pouch;  but  old  birds  taken  in  the 
spring  migration  defy  the  inroads  of  any  tooth  not  canine. 

Because  it  nests  so  very  far  to  the  north,  the  life  history  of 
this  goose  is  still  incomplete.  According  to  Saunders,  the  nest 
is  composed  of  grasses,  moss,  etc.,  lined  with  down  and  made 
on  the  ground.  Four  smooth  and  creamy  white  eggs  fill  it. 

The  Black  Brant  (Branta  nigricans),  a  name  sometimes 
applied  to  the  white-fronted  goose  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
white  brant  or  snow  goose,  is  the  western  representative  of  the 
preceding  species  and  of  only  casual  occurrence  on  the  Atlantic 
coast.  It  may  be  readily  distinguished  from  its  ally  by  its  darker 
under  parts  and  the  white  markings  on  the  front  as  well  as  the 
sides  of  its  neck.  Their  habits  are  almost  identical.  Both  these 
"  barnacle  geese  "  take  their  name,  not  from  their  fondness  for 
the  little  crustacean,  for  they  are  almost  vegetarians,  but  from  the 
absurd  fable  that  they  grew  out  of  barnacles  attached  to  wood  in 
the  sea.  Some  etymologists  claim  that  the  word  brant  is  derived 
from  the  Italian  word  branta,  coming  from  branca,  a  branch ;  but 
these  geese  have  nothing  to  do  with  branches,  unlike  the  Canada 
geese  that  sometimes  nest  in  trees ;  and  we  may  more  confidently 
accept  Dr.  Coues's  statement  that  brant  means  simply  burnt,  the 
dark  color  of  the  goose  suggesting  its  having  been  charred. 


SWANS 

(Subfamily  Cygnince) 

Whistling"   Swan 

(Olor  columbianus) 

Called  also:  AMERICAN  SWAN 

Length — 55  inches,  or  a  little  under  5  feet. 

Male  and  Female — Entire  plumage  white;  usually  a  yellow  spot 
between  the  eyes  and  nostrils,  but  sometimes  wanting; 
bill,  legs,  and  feet  black.  Immature  birds  have  some  brown- 
ish and  grayish  washings  on  parts  of  their  plumage. 

Range — North  America,  nesting  about  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and 
migrating  in  winter  to  our  southern  states  and  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Rare  on  the  Atlantic  coast  north  of  Maryland; 
more  abundant  on  the  Pacific. 

Season — Winter  visitor  and  spring  and  autumn  migrant,  October 
to  April. 

It  is  impossible  for  one  who  has  seen  only  the  common  mute 
swans  floating  about  in  the  artificial  lakes  of  our  city  parks, 
while  happy  children  toss  them  bits  of  cake  and  crackers,  to 
imagine  the  grandeur  of  a  flock  of  the  great  whistlers  in  their 
wild  state.  Not  far  from  Chicago  such  a  flock  was  recently  seen 
in  its  autumn  migration,  and  as  the  huge  birds  rose  from  the 
lake  into  the  air,  it  seemed  as  if  an  aerial  regatta  were  being 
sailed  overhead ;  the  swans,  each  with  a  wing-spread  of  six  or 
seven  feet,  moving  like  yachts  under  full  sail  in  a  mirage  where 
water  blended  with  sky  and  tricked  one's  vision.  The  sight  is 
among  the  most  impressive  in  all  nature.  It  is  wonderful  ! 

On  the  Pacific  coast,  in  the  interior,  down  the  Mississippi 
to  the  gulf  states,  and  up  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Florida  to  the 
Chesapeake,  the  whistling  swans  wander  between  October  and 
April,  flying  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  miles  an  hour,  it  is 

H3 


Swans 

estimated.  Like  many  of  their  smaller  relatives,  they  fly  in 
wedge  shaped  flocks,  with  an  experienced,  clarion  voiced  veteran 
in  the  lead.  Dr.  Sharpless,  who  was  the  first  to  point  out  this 
species  as  distinct  from  the  whooping  or  whistling  swan  of 
Europe,  with  which  our  early  ornithologists  confused  it,  says  : 
"Their  notes  are  extremely  varied,  some  closely  resembling  the 
deepest  bass  of  the  common  tin  horn,  while  others  run  through 
every  modulation  of  false  note  of  the  French  horn  or  clarionet." 
The  age  of  the  bird  is  supposed  to  account  for  the  difference  in 
the  voice.  No  one  can  mistake  the  notes  for  the  product  of  any 
musical  instrument,  however.  One  unkind  man  in  the  south, 
who  was  wakened  in  the  depth  of  night  by  the  noisy  trumpet- 
ings  of  a  flock  feeding  in  a  lagoon  near  his  home,  was  heard  to 
remark  that  if  the  swan  did  not  really  sing  just  before  its  death, 
it  really  ought  to  die  just  after  making  that  noise!  The  poets, 
from  Homer  to  Tennyson,  and  not  the  scientists,  are  responsible 
for  the  story  of  the  swan's  chanting  its  own  dirge.  These 
swans  are  particularly  noisy  when  dressing  their  feathers,  when 
feeding,  and  when  flying,  especially  just  after  mounting  from  the 
water  into  the  air,  when  they  make  loud  demands  each  for  its 
proper  place  in  the  V-shaped  column.  The  Indians  say  that  *he 
swans  follow  in  the  wake  of  a  flock  of  geese.  Perhaps  the 
Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company,  which  has  bought  thousands  of  pounds 
of  swan's  down  from  the  Indians,  best  knows  why  there  are  so 
few  flocks  of  swans  left  to  follow  the  geese  to-day. 

Around  the  shores  of  lakes  and  islands  in  the  Hudson  Bay 
region,  these  swans  return  to  nest  in  May ;  and  gathering  a  mass 
of  sticks  and  aquatic  plants,  pile  them  to  a  height  of  two  feet 
or  more,  this  down-lined  nest  being  sometimes  six  feet  across. 
In  the  labor  of  making  it  the  male  helps,  for  he  is  a  far 
better  mate  and  father  than  either  a  drake  or  a  gander.  From 
two  to  six  rough,  grayish  eggs,  over  four  inches  long  and  nearly 
three  inches  wide,  are  laid  in  June,  and  not  until  after  five 
weeks  of  close  confinement  on  the  nest  can  the  proud  mother 
lead  her  brood  to  water.  At  first  the  fledgelings  are  covered  with 
a  grayish  brown  down,  which  gradually  changes  into  the  white 
plumage  that  it  takes  twelve  months  to  perfect.  Young  cygnets 
are  counted  a  great  delicacy  by  the  epicures  of  Europe. 

Had  the  prehistoric  swans  been  content  to  nibble  herbage  on 
the  banks  of  streams,  instead  of  immersing  their  necks  to  probe 

144 


Swans 

the  bottoms  for  mollusks,  worms,  and  roots,  doubtless  their 
necks  would  have  reached  no  abnormal  length.  One  rarely  sees 
a  swan  tipping  after  the  manner  of  the  river  ducks,  and  never 
diving.  To  escape  pursuit  the  swan,  which  is  really  very  shy,  will 
quickly  distance  a  strong  rower  by  swimming,  yet  with  an  ease 
and  majesty  of  movement  that  suggests  neither  fright  nor  haste. 

The  Trumpeter  Swan  (Olor  buccinator),  an  even  larger 
species  than  the  preceding,  with  no  yellow  on  the  fore  part  of  its 
head,  though  elsewhere  identical  in  plumage  with  the  whistler, 
has  a  more  western  range,  being  rarely  found  east  of  the 
Mississippi.  In  habits  the  two  great  birds  appear  to  be  much  the 
same,  but  the  voice  of  the  well-named  trumpeter  resounds  with 
a  power  equalled  only  by  the  French  horns  blown  by  red-faced 
Germans  at  a  Wagner  opera. 


145 


PART  II 
WADING  BIRDS 


147 


HERONS  AND  THEIR  ALLIES 

Ibises 

Storks 

Bitterns 

Herons 

Egrets 


149 


HERONS  AND  THEIR  ALLIES 

(Order  Herodiones) 

Spoonbills,  herons,  storks,  bitterns,  ibises,  flamingoes,  egrets, 
or  white  herons,  and  their  kindred  compose  an  order  remark- 
able for  the  large  average  size  of  its  members,  all  of  whom  have 
either  long  legs  or  necks,  or  both.  Most  of  these  birds  belong 
to  the  tropics;  and  while  many  of  them  formerly  reached  our 
southern  states  in  great  numbers,  the  greed  of  the  plume  hunter, 
incited  by  the  thoughtless  vanity  of  women,  has  nearly  exter- 
minated a  number  of  the  most  beautiful  species.  The  majority 
of  these  birds  are  either  local  or  have  now  become  too  rare  to  be 
included  in  this  book. 

Ibises 

(Family  Ibididce) 

Slender,  picturesque  birds,  long  of  neck,  bill,  legs,  and  wings, 
and  very  short  tailed.  A  bare  space  around  eye;  claws  almost 
like  human  nails.  Silent  birds,  always  living  in  flocks,  chiefly 
on  shores  of  smaller  bodies  of  water  or  on  bars  and  lower 
beaches  on  which  the  outgoing  tide  leaves  a  harvest  of  small 
crustaceans,  which  with  frogs,  lizards,  small  fish,  etc.,  form 
their  food.  Sexes  alike  ;  young  different. 

White  Ibis,  or  Spanish  Curlew. 

Storks   and  Wood  Ibises 

(Family  Ciconiidce) 

Unhappily  these  storks  still  retain  the  name  "ibis,"  which 
no  amount  of  scientific  protest  seems  possible  to  shake  off. 
General  form  as  in  preceding  group ;  but  bill,  which  is  as  broad 
as  the  face  at  base,  has  tip  curved  downward.  Four  long  toes, 


Herons  and  their  Allies 

the  hind  one  about  on  the  level  with  the  front  ones,  enabling 
the  birds  to  rake  the  muddy  bottoms  of  shallow  lagoons  with 
their  feet.  Claws  less  nail-like  than  in  true  ibises.  Strong, 
graceful  fliers. 

Wood  Ibis 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

(Family  Ardeidce) 

Birds  of  this  family,  that  contains  about  seventy-five  species, 
mostly  confined  to  the  tropics,  have  certain  peculiar  feathers 
or  "powder-down  tracts"  which,  when  worn  in  pairs  of 
two  or  three,  are  a  fair  but  superficial  mark  of  the  clan.  The 
herons  wear  three  pairs;  one  on  the  back,  over  the  hips;  one 
underneath  the  hips,  on  the  abdomen ;  and  another  on  the  breast. 
Bitterns  lack  the  pair  underneath.  Their  purpose  is  not  yet 
known,  but  some  scientists  contend  that  these  tracts  are  phos- 
phorescent, and  that  fish  are  lured  by  them  at  night.  The  plu- 
mage is  generally  loose,  adorned  with  lengthened  feathers,  some 
species  having  beautiful  crests  and  plumes  on  the  back,  that  are 
worn  in  the  nesting  season.  The  legs  are  long  and  un- 
feathered,  for  wading;  the  four  toes,  all  on  the  same  level,  are 
long  and  slender,  for  perching.  The  bill,  which  is  always  longer 
than  the  elongated,  narrow  head,  appears  to  run  directly  into  the 
eyes.  Usually  herons  nest  and  roost  in  flocks,  in  favorable  locali- 
ties, numbering  thousands;  but  when  feeding  on  the  shores  of 
lagoons,  rivers,  and  lakes,  solitary  birds  are  seen.  Other  species, 
on  the  contrary,  live  singly  or  in  pairs  all  the  time. 

American  Bittern,  or  Marsh  Hen. 

Least  Bittern. 

Great  Blue  Heron,  or  Blue  Crane. 

Little  Blue  Heron,  or  Blue  Egret. 

Snowy  Heron,  or  White  Egret. 

Green  Heron,  or  Poke. 

Black-crowned  Night  Heron,  or  Quawk. 


152 


IBISES 

(Family  Ibididce) 

White  Ibis 

(Guara  alba) 

Called  also:  SPANISH    CURLEW 

Length — 25  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Plumage  white,  except  the  tips  of  four  outer 
wing  feathers,  which  are  black.  Bare  space  on  head;  most 
of  bill  and  the  long  legs  orange  red.  Long  decurved  bill 
tipped  with  dusky.  Immature  birds  dull  brown,  except 
lower  back  and  under  parts,  which  are  white. 

Range — Warmer  parts  of  United  States,  nesting  as  far  north  as 
Indiana,  Illinois,  and  South  Carolina;  straying  northward 
annually  to  Long  Island,  and  casually  to  Connecticut  and 
South  Dakota;  winters  in  West  Indies,  Central,  and  northern 
South  America. 

Season — Summer  resident  or  visitor. 

Flocks  of  these  stately,  picturesque  birds,  flying  in  close 
squadrons,  their  plumage  glistening  in  the  glare  of  a  tropical  sun, 
their  legs  trailing  after  them,  are  not  so  familiar  a  sight  even  in 
the  Gulf  states  as  once  they  were.  Their  destruction  can  be  set 
down  to  nothing  but  wanton  cruelty,  for  their  flesh  is  totally 
unfit  for  food,  and  their  usefulness  is  nil  if  it  does  not  consist  in 
enlivening  waste  places  with  their  beauty. 

Morning  and  evening  the  close  ranks  fly  to  and  from  the 
feeding  grounds  on  the  shores  of  lagoons  and  lakes,  or  to  their 
favorite  roosts,  where  their  ancestors  likely  as  not  slept  before 
them.  Standing  on  one  leg,  with  head  and  bill  drawn  in  to  rest 
between  the  shoulders  and  on  the  breast,  the  body  in  a  perpen- 
dicular position,  an  ibis  can  remain  motionless  for  hours,  a 
picture  of  tropical  indolence.  The  bill,  which  so  closely  resem- 
bles the  curlew's  that  this  ibis  is  frequently  called  Spanish  cur- 


Ibises 

lew,  enables  the  bird  to  drag  out  the  crayfish  from  its  shell  and 
pinch  the  last  piece  of  flesh  from  soft-shelled  crustaceans.  Small 
fish,  frogs,  lizards,  and  other  aquatic  animal  food  never  seem  to 
fatten  this  slender  bird,  that  is  a  ravenous  feeder  none  the  less. 

Colonies  of  ibises  build  nests  in  ancestral  nurseries,  which 
may  be  in  reedy  marshes,  or  in  low  trees  and  bushes  not  far  from 
good  feeding  grounds.  Three  to  five  pale  greenish  eggs  marked 
with  chocolate  are  found  in  the  coarse,  bulky  nest  of  reeds  and 
weed  stalks. 


STORKS  AND  WOOD  IBISES 

(Family  Ciconiidce) 

Wood   Ibis 

(Tantalus  loculator) 

Called  also :  WOOD  STORK;  COLORADO  TURKEY;  WATER 
TURKEY 

Length — 40  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Head  and  neck  bare,  and  bluish  or  yellowish ; 
plumage  white,  except  the  primaries  and  secondaries  of 
wings  and  the  tail,  which  are  greenish  black.  Legs  blue, 
blackish  toward  the  toes;  long,  thick,  decurved  bill,  dingy 
yellow.  Immature  birds  have  head  covered  with  down; 
plumage  dark  gray,  with  blackish  wings  and  tail,  but  soon 
whitening. 

Range—  "Southern  United  States,  from  the  Ohio  Valley,  Colo- 
rado, Utah,  southeastern  California,  etc.,  south  to  Argentine 
Republic;  casually  northward  to  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York."— A.  O.  U. 

Season — Resident,  or  summer  visitor. 

Like  the  turkey  buzzards,  this  wood  stork  has  the  fascinating 
grace  of  flight  that  one  never  tires  of  watching,  as  the  birds,  first 
mounting  upward  with  strong  wing  beats,  go  sailing  away  over- 
head in  great  spirals,  floating  on  motionless,  wide  wings,  wheel- 
ing, gyrating,  rising,  falling,  skimming  in  and  out  of  the  pathless 
maze  that  a  flock  follows  as  if  its  members  were  playing  a  sedate 
game  of  cross  tag.  With  necks  distended  and  legs  trailing  on  a 
horizontal  with  their  bodies,  their  length  is  extreme.  As  these 
birds  are  gluttonous  feeders,  it  has  been  suggested  that  their 
flights,  like  the  buzzard's,  are  taken  for  exercise  to  quicken  their 
digestion. 

There  is  a  tradition  to  the  effect  that  the  wood  ibis  is  a 
solitary  misanthrope,  but  Audubon  mentions  thousands  in  a 
flock;  and  while  the  day  of  such  sights  has  passed  forever  in  this 
land  of  bird  butchers,  one  rarely  sees  a  lone  fisherman  in  the  south 


Storks  and  Wood  Ibises 

to-day,  and  where  one  meets  the  bird  at  all,  it  is  likely  to  be  in 
the  company  of  at  least  a  score  of  its  kind,  with  possibly  a  few 
buzzards  sailing  in  their  midst.  "The  great  abundance  of  the 
wood  ibis  on  the  Colorado,  especially  the  lower  portions  of  the 
river,"  says  Dr.  Coues,  "  has  not  been  generally  recognized  until 
of  late  years,  .  .  .  but  the  swampy  tracts  and  bayous  of  Louisi- 
ana, Mississippi,  Alabama,  and  Florida  are  ...  their  favorite 
homes." 

Speaking  of  a  hunting  trip  on  the  Myakka  River  in  west 
Florida,  in  1879,  Mr.  G.  O.  Shields  writes:  "As  we  walked 
quietly  around  a  bend  in  the  river,  just  out  of  sight  of  our  camp, 
and  came  to  an  open  glade  or  meadow  of  perhaps  an  acre,  a  sight 
met  our  eyes  that  might  have  inspired  the  soul  of  a  poet  or  have 
awakened  in  the  mind  of  the  prosiest  human  being  visions  of 
Paradise.  There  sat  great  flocks  of  richly  colored  birds,  the  backs 
of  which  were  nearly  white,  the  wings  and  breast  a  rich  and 
varied  pink,  changing  in  some  of  the  males  to  almost  scarlet. 
These  were  the  roseate  spoonbills  [now  nearly  extinct].  In  an- 
other part  of  the  glade  was  a  large  flock  of  the  stately  wood  ibis, 
with  body  of  pure  white,  and  wings  a  glossy  radiant  purple  and 
black.  In  still  another  part,  a  flock  of  snowy  white  egrets, 
and  here  and  there  a  blue  or  gray  heron,  or  other  tropical  bird. 
Alarmed  at  our  approach  they  all  arose,  but,  as  if  aware  their 
matchless  beauty  was  a  safeguard  against  the  destroying  hand  of 
man,  they  soared  around  over  our  heads  for  several  minutes 
before  flying  away.  As  they  thus  hovered  over  us  we  stood  and 
contemplated  the  scene  in  silent  awe  and  admiration.  Our  guns 
were  at  a  parade  rest.  We  had  no  desire  to  stain  a  single  one  of 
the  exquisite  plumes  with  blood." 

Indolent  as  creatures  of  the  tropics  are  wont  to  be,  the  wood 
stork  goes  to  no  further  effort  to  secure  a  dinner  than  dancing 
about  in  the  shallow  edges  of  the  lagoon,  to  stir  up  the  mud, 
which  brings  the  fish  to  the  top.  A  sharp  stroke  from  its 
heavy  bill  leaves  the  fish  floating  about  dead  to  serve  as  bait. 
With  head  drawn  in  between  its  shoulders,  a  pensive,  sedate 
figure,  the  stork  now  calmly  waits  for  other  fish,  frogs,  lizards, 
or  other  reptiles  to  approach  the  bait,  when,  quick  as  thought,  it 
strikes  right  and  left,  helping  itself  to  the  choicest  food,  and 
leaving  the  rest  for  the  buzzards  and  alligators.  A  sun  bath  after 
such  a  gorge  completes  its  happiness. 

156 


HERONS  AND  BITTERNS 

(Family  Ardeidce) 

American  Bittern 

(Botaurus  lentiginosus) 

Called  also:  MARSH  HEN;  INDIAN  HEN;  STAKE  DRIVER; 
POKE;  FRECKLED  HERON;  BOG  BULL;  NIGHT  HEN; 
BOOMING  BITTERN;  LOOK-UP 

Length — Varies  from  24  to  34  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Subcrested;  upper  parts  freckled  with  shades 
of  brown,  blackish,  buff,  and  whitish;  top  of  head  and  back 
of  neck  slate  color,  with  a  yellow-brown  wash;  a  black 
streak  on  sides  of  neck;  chin  and  throat  white,  with  a  few 
brown  streaks;  under  parts  pale  buff,  striped  with  brown; 
head  flat.  Bill  yellow,  and  rather  stout,  and  sharply  pointed; 
tail  small  and  rounded;  legs  long  and  olive  colored. 

Range — Temperate  North  America;  nests  usually  north  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  winters  from  that  state  southward  to  the  West 
Indies. 

Season— Summer  resident,  or  visitor  from  May  to  October;  per- 
manent in  the  south. 

The  booming  bittern,  whose  "barbaric  yawp  "  echoes  from 
lonely  marshes,  grassy  meadows,  and  swamps  through  the  sum- 
mer, enjoys  greater  popularity  in  name  than  in  deed ;  for  he  is  a 
hermit,  a  shy,  solitary  wanderer,  that  even  Thoreau,  no  less 
secluded  than  he,  knew  by  his  voice  chiefly.  "Many  have 
heard  the  stake  driver,"  says  Hamilton  Gibson,  "but  who  shall 
locate  the  stake  ? "  The  same  bird  whose  voice  sounds  like 
a  stake  being  driven  into  a  bog,  or,  again,  "like  the  working 
of  an  old-fashioned  wooden  pump,"  or  like  the  hoarse  crowing 
of  a  raven  when  it  flies  at  night,  has  for  its  love  song  the  most 
dismal,  hollow  bellow,  that  comes  booming  from  the  marshes  at 
evening,  a  mile  away,  with  a  gruesome  solemnity.  One  of  these 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

calls  has  been  written  pump-er-lunk,  pump-er-lunk,  pump-er- 
lunh;  but  a  better  rendering,  perhaps,  is  Dr.  Abbott's  puck-la- 
grook,  which  has  been  verified  again  and  again. 

After  the  sedges  in  the  marshes  have  grown  tall,  it  is  next  to 
impossible  to  find  the  bird ;  but  on  its  arrival  in  spring,  when  it 
pumps  most  vociferously  in  the  fens,  the  paddler  up  some  lonely 
creek  follows  the  sound  until  he  sees  this  freckled  fellow  stand- 
ing perfectly  still  in  the  low  grass,  its  head  held  erect  and  pointed 
upward.  Not  ,a  muscle  moves  while  the  bird  remains  in  ignor- 
ance of  the  watcher.  An  hour  passes,  and  it  might  be  a  dead 
stump  standing  there  in  the  twilight.  It  looks  particularly 
like  a  stump  if  it  has  assumed  another  favorite  position,  of  draw- 
ing in  its  head  until  it  touches  its  back.  Suddenly  a  succession 
of  snappings  and  gulpings,  to  fill  its  lungs  with  air,  convulses  the 
creature,  and  then  three  booming  bellowings  come  forth  with 
gestures  that  suggest  horrible  nausea.  One  who  did  not  see  the 
bird  in  the  act  of  making  these  noises  would  imagine  from  their 
quality  that  they  came  from  below  the  water,  and  there  are 
many  stories  in  circulation  among  people  who  do  not  go  to  the 
pains  to  verify  them,  that  water  is  actually  swallowed  and 
ejected  by  bitterns  to  assist  their  voices;  but  it  is  not. 

Come  upon  the  hermit  suddenly,  and  it  seems  paralyzed  by 
fright.  When  danger  actually  threatens,  up  go  the  long  head 
feathers,  leaving  the  neck  bare  and  making  the  bird  look  formid- 
able indeed.  The  plumage  is  ruffled,  the  wings  are  extended, 
and  if  the  adversary  comes  too  near,  a  violent  slap  from  the  strong 
wing  and  a  thrust  from  the  very  sharp  beak  makes  him  wish  his 
zeal  for  bird  lore  had  been  tempered  with  discretion.  A  little 
water  spaniel  was  actually  stabbed  to  death  as  a  result  of  its 
master's  inquisitiveness. 

During  the  day,  the  bittern,  being  extremely  timid,  keeps 
well  hidden  in  the  marshes;  but  it  is  not  a  nocturnal  bird,  by  any 
means,  however  well  it  likes  to  migrate  by  night.  To  some 
it  may  appear  sluggish  and  indolent  as  it  stands  motionless  for 
hours,  but  it  is  simply  intelligently  waiting  for  frogs,  lizards, 
snakes,  large  winged  insects,  meadow  mice,  etc.,  to  come 
within  striking  distance,  when,  quick  as  thought,  the  prey  is 
transfixed.  A  slow,  meditative  step  also  gives  an  impression  of 
indolence,  but  the  bittern  is  often  only  treading  mollusks  out  of 
the  mud  with  its  toes. 

158 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

In  the  air  the  bittern  still  moves  slowly,  and  with  a  tropical 
languor  flaps  its  large,  broad  wings,  and  trails  its  legs  behind, 
to  act  as  a  rudder  as  it  flies  close  above  the  tops  of  the  sedges. 
When  a  longer  journey  than  from  one  part  of  the  marsh  to 
another  must  be  made,  the  solitary  traveller  mounts  high  by 
describing  circles;  and,  secure  under  the  cover  of  darkness,  makes 
bold  and  long  excursions.  It  is  only  in  the  nesting  season  that 
we  find  these  birds  in  couples.  Then  neither  one  is  ever  far 
away  from  the  rude  grassy  nest  that  holds  from  three  to  five 
pale  olive  buff  eggs  hidden  among  the  sedges,  on  the  ground,  in 
a  marsh.  There  are  those  who  assert  that  young  bitterns  are 
good  food. 

Least  Bittern 

(Ardetta  exilis) 

Called  also:  TORTOISE-SHELL  BIRD;  LITTLE  BITTERN; 
FLY-UP-THE-CREEK 

Length — 13  inches. 

Male — Subcrested ;  top  of  head,  back,  and  tail  black,  with  green 
reflections;  back  of  neck  and  sides  of  head  brownish  red, 
also  wings,  coverts,  and  edges  of  some  quills  ;  throat 
whitish,  shading  into  buff  on  under  parts;  the  deepest  shade, 
almost  a  yellow-brown,  on  sides;  much  buff  on  wings. 
Bill,  eyes,  and  feet  yellow;  legs  long  and  greenish. 

Female — Similar  to  male,  but  chestnut  above,  and  the  darker 
under  parts  are  lightly  streaked  with  dark  brown. 

Range — Throughout  temperate  North  America,  nesting  from 
Maine  and  the  British  Provinces  southward  ;  winters  from 
Gulf  states  to  West  Indies  and  Brazil  ;  less  common  west  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  found  on  the  Pacific  coast  to  north- 
ern California. 

Season — Summer  resident. 

The  smallest  member  of  a  family  of  waders  noted  for  their 
large  size,  the  least  bittern  brings  down  their  average  consider- 
ably ;  for  it  is  only  about  a  foot  long,  a  quarter  the  length  of  the 
next  species.  Fresh-water  marshes,  inaccessible  swamps,  boggy 
lands,  and  sedgy  ponds  are  where  these  secretive  little  birds 
hide,  with  rails  and  marsh  wrens,  gallinules,  bobolinks,  red- 
winged  blackbirds,  and  swamp  song  sparrows  for  neighbors 

159 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

among  the  rushes.  Living  where  no  rubber  boot  may  follow 
them  through  the  muck,  they  usually  remain  unknown  to  many 
human  neighbors,  unless  some  sluggish  stream  running  through 
their  territory  will  float  a  skiff  and  a  bird  student  within  field- 
glass  range.  These  bitterns  are  by  no  means  the  solitary  hermits 
the  larger  species  are.  Colonies  of  a  dozen  or  more  couples  are 
found  nesting  within  the  same  acre. 

However  retiring  in  habits  by  preference,  the  least  bitterns 
show  no  especial  shyness  when  approached.  Mr.  Chamberlain 
tells  of  a  small  colony  that  spend  the  summer  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  a  street-car  track  and  a  playground  in  the  busiest  part 
of  Brookline,  near  Boston — probably  the  home  their  ancestors 
were  reared  in  ;  for  all  the  birds  of  this  family  show  marked 
respect  and  attachment  for  an  old  homestead.  In  Westchester 
County,  New  York,  there  is  a  certain  sluggish  river  whose  reedy 
shores  contain  twenty  nests  or  more  within  sight  of  a  well-worn 
foot  bridge.  Here,  looking  down  into  the  sedges,  the  birds  are 
seen  running  about  through  the  jungle,  with  their  necks  out- 
stretched and  their  heads  lowered,  as  they  hunt  for  food — small 
minnows,  or  young  frogs  and  tadpoles,  lizards,  and  bugs 
winged  and  crawling.  Disturb  the  birds,  and  they  take  wing  at 
once,  with  a  harsh,  croaking  note,  qua,  and  flapping  their  wings 
slowly  and  heavily,  retreat  no  farther  than  to  a  denser  part  of  the 
marsh,  into  which  they  drop,  and  are  lost  in  the  rushes. 

Dr.  Abbott  writes  of  a  bittern's  nest  that  he  found  near 
Poaetquissings  Creek — that  mine  of  nature's  treasures  he  has 
opened  for  the  delight  of  easy-chair  naturalists.  "Such  finds 
make  red-letter  days,"  he  says.  "The  nest  itself  was  a  loosely 
woven  mat  of  twigs  and  grass,  yet  strong  enough  to  be  lifted 
from  the  tuft  of  bulrush  upon  which  it  rested.  There  were 
a  single  dirty  blue  white  egg  and  four  fuzzy  baby  bitterns  not 
a  week  old.  They  were  clad  in  pale  buff  down,  scantily  dusted 
over  them,  and  an  abundance  of  straight  white  hairs  as  long 
as  their  bodies.  These  young  birds  were  far  less  awkward, 
even  now,  than  herons  of  the  same  or  even  greater  age.  As 
I  took  one  up,  it  thrust  its  opened  beak  at  me,  but,  becoming 
quickly  reconciled,  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  the  warmth  of  my 
hand.  At  times  it  uttered  a  peculiarly  clear,  fifelike  cry  .  .  .  free 
from  every  trace  of  harshness." 

Near  sunset  and  in  the  twilight  of  night  and  morning  is 
160 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

when  these  bitterns,  like  all  their  kin,  step  boldly  out  of  their 
retreats  and  indulge  in  longer  flights  from  home.  Many  men  of 
science  have  thought  the  powder-down  tracts  on  their  bodies 
glow  with  phosphorescent  light  in  the  dark  and  attract  fish 
to  the  water's  edge,  where  the  bird  stands  motionless,  ready  to 
transfix  a  victim  with  its  beak.  But  as  yet  this  is  only  an  inter- 
esting theory  that  has  still  to  be  Droved. 


Great   Blue   Heron 

(Ardea  berodias) 

Called  also:  BLUE  CRANE;  (erroneously)   SANDHILL  CRANE 

Length — 42  to  50  inches.     Stands  about  4  feet  high. 

Male  and  Female— Crown  and  throat  white,  with  a  long  black 
crest  beginning  at  base  of  bill,  running  through  eye,  and 
hanging  over  the  neck,  the  two  longest  feathers  of  which 
are  lacking  in  autumn.  Very  long  neck,  light  brownish 
gray,  the  whitish  feathers  on  lower  neck  much  lengthened 
and  hanging  over  the  dusky  and  chestnut  breast.  Upper 
parts  ashy  blue  ;  darker  on  wings,  which  are  ornamented 
with  long  plumes,  similar  to  those  on  breast,  in  nesting 
plumage  only.  Bend  of  wing  and  thighs  rusty  red. 
Under-  parts  dusky,  tipped  with  white  and  rufous.  Long 
legs  and  feet,  black.  Bill,  longer  than  head,  stout,  sharp, 
and  yellow. 

Range — North  America  at  large,  from  Labrador,  Hudson  Bay, 
and  Alaska;  nesting  locally  through  range,  and  wintering  in 
our  southern  states,  the  West  Indies,  and  Central  and  South 
America. 

Season— Summer  resident  at  the  north,  April  to  October,  often  to 
December;  elsewhere  resident  all  the  year. 

The  Japanese  artists,  "on  many  a  screen  and  jar,  on  many 
a  plaque  and  fan,"  have  taught  some  of  us  the  aesthetic  value 
of  the  heron  and  its  allies — birds  whose  outstretched  necks,  long, 
dangling  legs,  slender  bodies,  and  broad  expanse  of  wing  give 
a  picturesque  animation  to  our  own  marshes.  But  American 
artists  seek  them  out  more  rarely  than  shooters,  and  a  useless 
mass  of  flesh  and  feathers  lies  decomposing  in  many  a  morass 
where  the  law  does  not  penetrate  and  the  rifle  ball  does.  Long- 
fellow, in  "The  Herons  of  Elm  wood,"  paints  a  word  picture  of 
ii  161 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

this  stately  bird,  full  of  appreciation  of  its  beauty  and  the  mystery 
of  the  marsh.     Surely  no  one  enjoyed 

"  The  cry  of  the  herons  winging  their  way 

O'er  the  poet's  house  in  the  elmwood  thickets  M 

more  than  Lowell  himself. 

"  Sing  him  the  song  of  the  green  morass, 

And  the  tides  that  water  the  reeds  and  rushes  ; 

Sing  of  the  air  and  the  wild  delight 

Of  wings  that  uplift  and  winds  that  uphold  you. 

The  joy  of  freedom,  the  rapture  of  flight 

Through  the  drift  of  the  floating  mists  that  infold  you." 

Hern,  an  obsolete  form  of  heron,  was  perhaps  last  used  by 
Tennyson  when  he  wrote  of  "The  Brook"  that  comes  "from 
the  haunts  of  coot  and  hern."  The  old  adage,  "not  to  know  a 
hawk  from  a  handsaw,"  lacks  its  meaning  if  we  do  not  recall 
how  heronsewe,  a  heron  (not  heronshaw,  as  is  often  writ- 
ten), was  corrupted  in  England  long  ago,  when  hawking  was  a 
favorite  sport  there,  into  hernser,  in  turn  corrupted  into  handsaw. 
Tradition  says  that  the  soul  of  Herodias  became  incarnate  in  the 
heron,  the  favorite  bird  of  Herod,  but  in  that  case  the  common 
heron  of  Europe  (Ardea  cinerea  of  Linnasus)  should  bear  her 
hated  name,  and  not  this  distinctly  American  species. 

Patience,  an  easy  virtue  of  the  tropics,  from  whence  the 
great  blue  heron  comes,  characterizes  its  habits  when  we  observe 
them  at  the  north.  Standing  motionless  in  shallow  water,  the 
Sphinx-like  bird  waits  silently,  solemnly,  hour  after  hour,  for 
fish,  frogs,  small  reptiles,"  and  large  insects  to  come  within 
range;  then,  striking  suddenly  with  its  strong,  sharp  bill,  it  snaps 
up  its  victim  or  impales  it,  gives  it  a  knock  or  two  to  kill  it  if 
the  thrust  has  not  been  sufficient,  tosses  it  in  the  air  if  the  prey 
is  a  fish,  and,  in  order  to  avoid  the  scratching  fins,  swallows 
it  head  downward.  Hunters  pretend  to  excuse  their  wanton 
slaughter  by  saying  herons  eat  too  many  fish ;  but  possibly  these 
were  created  as  much  for  the  herons'  good  as  our  own,  and  no 
thanks  are  offere'd  for  the  reptiles  and  mice  they  destroy. 

Wild, -shy,  solitary,  and  suspicious  birds,  it  is  next  to  im- 
possible to  approach  them,  even  after  one  has  penetrated  to  the 
forbidding  retreats  where  they  hide.  Near  sunset  is  the  hour 

162 


GREAT  BLUE  HERRON. 
!  Life-size. 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

they  prefer  to  feed.  In  Florida  one  meets  herons  constantly, 
fishing  boldly  on  the  beach,  wading  in  the  lagoons,  perching  on 
stumps,  and  walking  with  stately  tread  and  slow  through  the 
sedges  by  the  river  side,  their  long  necks  towering  above  the 
tallest  grasses.  The  cypress  swamps  all  through  the  south  con- 
tain herons  of  every  kind;  but  at  the  north  the  sight  of  this  lone 
fisherman  is  rare  enough  to  be  memorable.  Nine  times  out  of 
ten  he  will  be  standing  with  his  head  drawn  in  to  rest  between 
his  shoulders,  and  motionless  as  a  statue.  As  he  generally 
chooses  to  fish  under  the  shadow  of  a  tree  by  the  water,  or 
among  the  rushes  that  grow  out  into  the  sluggish  stream,  his 
quiet  plumage  and  stillness  protect  him  from  all  but  the  sharpest 
eyes.  Disturb  him,  and  with  a  harsh  rasping  squawk  he  spreads 
his  long  wings,  flaps  them  softly  and  solemnly,  and  slowly  flies 
deeper  into  the  marsh.  At  close  range  he  looks  a  comical  mass 
of  angles ;  but  as  he  soars  away  and  circles  majestically  above, 
his  great  shadow  moving  over  the  marsh  like  a  cloud,  no  bird 
but  the  eagle  is  so  impressively  grand,  and  even  it  is  not  so 
picturesque. 

Herons  are  by  no  means  hermits  always.  Colonies  of  ten  or 
fifteen  pairs  return  year  after  year  at  the  nesting  season  to  ances- 
tral rookeries,  each  couple  simply  relining  with  fresh  twigs  the 
platform  of  sticks  in  a  tree  top  that  has  served  a  previous  brood 
or  generation  as  a  nest.  The  three  or  four  dull  bluish  green  eggs 
that  are  a  little  larger  than  a  hen's  very  rarely  tumble  out  of  the 
rickety  lattice,  however.  Both  the  crudeness  of  the  nest  and  the 
elliptical  form  of  the  egg  indicate,  among  other  signs,  that 
the  heron  is  one  of  the  low  forms  of  bird  life,  not  far  re- 
moved, as  scientists  reckon  space,  from  the  reptiles.  Sometimes 
nests  are  found  directly  on  the  ground  or  on  the  tops  of  rocks ; 
but  even  then  the  fledgelings,  that  sit  on  their  haunches  in  a  state 
of  helplessness,  make  no  attempt  to  run  about  for  two  or  three 
weeks. 

The  Little  Blue  Heron,  or  Blue  Egret  (Ardea  c&rulea),  less 
than  half  the  size  of  its  great  cousin,  casually  wanders  north- 
ward and  beyond  the  Canadian  border  when  its  nesting  duties 
are  over  in  southern  rookeries.  Its  home  is  also  a  platform  of 
sticks,  but  it  is  placed,  with  a  dozen  or  more  like  it,  in  bushes 
over  the  watery  hunting  ground,  and  not  in  the  tops  of  tall 

163 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

cypresses  or  other  trees.  Such  colonies  are  still  found  as  far  north 
as  Pennsylvania  and  southern  Illinois.  A  rich  maroon  brown 
head  and  neck  set  off  its  bluish  slate  plumage,  which  is  adorned 
with  lengthened  pointed  feathers  on  the  breast  and  shoulders. 
Immature  birds  are  more  confusing.  At  first  they  are  white,  or 
white  washed  with  slaty  gray,  the  tips  of  the  primaries  always 
remaining  bluish  slate,  however,  which  enables  one  to  tell  them, 
with  the  help  of  their  greenish  yellow  legs,  from  the  snowy  herons 
or  egrets  so  often  confused  with  them.  Happily,  the  little  blue 
herons  wear  no  aigrettes,  or  they  would  share  the  tragic  fate  of 
the  beauty  of  their  family. 

"  What  does  it  cost,  this  garniture  of  death  ? 

It  costs  the  life  which  God  alone  can  give  ; 
It  costs  dull  silence  where  was  music's  breath  ; 

It  costs  dead  joy  that  foolish  pride  may  live  ; 
Ah,  life  and  joy  and  song,  depend  upon  it, 
Are  costly  trimmings  for  a  woman's  bonnet !  " 

Only  a  generation  ago  the  Snowy  Heron  (Ardea  candidissima) 
was  so  abundant  the  southern  marshes  fairly  glistened  with  flocks, 
as  if  piled  with  snow;  but  all  the  trace  of  this  exquisite  bird  now 
left  is  in  the  aigrettes  that,  once  worn  as  its  wedding  dress,  to-day 
wave  above  the  unthinking  brows  of  foolish  women.  In  some 
states  there  is  a  penalty  attached  to  the  shooting  of  this  heron ; 
but  the  plume  hunters  evade  the  law  by  cutting  the  flesh  contain- 
ing the  aigrettes  from  the  back  of  the  living  bird,  that  is  left  to  die 
in  agony.  Countless  thousands  of  the  particularly  helpless  fledge- 
lings, suddenly  orphaned,  have  slowly  starved  to  death,  and  so 
rapidly  hastened  the  day  when  the  extinction  of  the  species  must 
end  the  sinful  folly. 

Little  Green  Heron 

(Ardea  virescens) 

Ca/Iat  also  .-POKE;    CHUCKLE    HEAD;    CHALKLINE;    FLY- 
UP-THE-CREEK 

Length — 16  to  18  inches;  smallest  of  the  herons. 
Male  and  Female — Lengthened    crest    and   crown   of  head   dark 
green ;  rest  of  receding  head  and  neck  chestnut  red,  shading 
164 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

into  yellow;  brownish  ash  under  parts;  throat  white,  with 
line  of  dark  spots  widening  on  breast;  back,  with  pointed 
lengthened  feathers  between  shoulders,  is  green,  or  washed 
with  grayish ;  wings  and  tail  dark  green,  the  coverts  of  the 
former  outlined  with  white.  Bill  long  and  greenish  black. 
Rather  short  legs,  greenish  yellow.  Immature  birds  lack  the 
lengthened  feathers  on  back,  are  less  brilliant,  their  crests 
are  smaller,  and  they  have  black  streaks  on  their  under  parts. 

Range — Tropical  and  temperate  America;  nests  throughout  the 
United  States  and  far  into  the  British  possessions ;  winters 
from  Gulf  states  southward. 

Season — Summer  resident,  April  to  October. 

This  smallest,  most  abundant,  and  most  northern  heron 
comes  up  from  the  south  in  lustrous  green  plumage  that  gradu- 
ally loses  its  iridescence  as  nesting  duties  tell  upon  the  physique; 
but  as  it  is  a  solitary,  shy  bird,  very  few  get  a  close  look  at  its 
feathers  at  any  time.  Delighting  in  quagmires,  where  no  rubber 
boot  stays  on  the  foot  of  the  pursuer,  the  little  green  heron  goes 
deeper  and  deeper  into  the  swamp,  and  keeps  well  concealed 
among  the  rushes  by  day,  coming  out  to  the  shores  of  wooded 
streams  and  sedgy  ponds  toward  dusk,  when  often  as  not  the 
motionless  little  figure  is  mistaken  for  a  snag  and  passed  by. 

Not  a  muscle  does  the  bird  move  while  patiently  waiting 
for  fish,  frogs,  and  newts  to  come  within  striking  distance  of  its 
sharp  bill.  With  head  drawn  down  between  its  shoulders,  it 
will  stand  motionless  for  more  hours  than  the  most  zealous  bird 
student  cares  to  spend  watching  it.  Where  food  is  exceedingly 
abundant,  one  may  sometimes  be  seen  wading  around  the  edge 
of  the  pond  with  slow,  well  calculated  steps,  snapping  up  the 
little  water  animals  that  also  become  more  active  as  evening 
approaches. 

Startle  the  lone  fisherman,  and  with  a  hollow,  guttural 
squawk  it  springs  into  the  air,  but  does  not  flap  its  wings  long 
before  dropping  on  some  old  stump  or  distended  branch  to  learn 
whether  further  flight  is  necessary.  There  is  a  certain  laziness 
or  languor  about  all  the  herons  that  they  have  brought  from  the 
tropics  with  them.  When  perched  on  a  stump,  its  receding  head 
thrust  forward  like  a  stupid,  its  apology  for  a  tail  twitching  ner- 
vously, one  sees  the  fitness  of  many  of  this  heron's  popular  names. 
But  why  is  this  inoffensive  wader  held  in  such  general  contempt  ? 

It  has  been  stated  by  some  scientists  that,  unlike  many  of  its 
165 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

kin,  the  green  heron  is  always  a  hermit,  rarely  seen  in  couples, 
and  never  found  in  colonies,  even  at  the  nesting  season;  but 
surely  there  are  enough  exceptions  to  prove  the  rule.  From  all 
points  of  its  large  nesting  range  come  accounts  of  heronries 
where  not  only  green  herons  have  built  their  rickety  platforms  of 
sticks  in  the  low  branches  of  trees  or  bushes  in  communities,  but 
have  associated  there  with  different  relatives,  particularly  with 
the  night  heron.  They  begin  to  build  nests,  or  reline  what  the 
winter  storms  have  left  of  their  old  ones,  about  the  middle  of 
April.  These  birds  become  attached  to  their  nesting  sites  that 
they  return  to  generation  after  generation,  and  a  roost  often  be- 
comes equally  dear.  There  are  certain  favorite  trees  in  localities 
where  the  green  heron  is  abundant  that  one  rarely  misses  finding 
a  bird  perched  upon. 

Why  it  is  that  the  eggs — pale  dull  blue,  from  three  to  six — 
and  the  helpless  fledgeling  do  not  fall  out  or  through  their  ram- 
shackle nursery  is  a  mystery.  Indolence  characterizes  these  birds 
from  infancy;  for  they  remain  sitting  on  their  haunches  in  a 
state  of  inertia,  roused  only  by  visits  of  their  enslaved  parents 
bringing  them  food,  until  they  are  perfectly  able  to  fly,  some 
weeks  after  hatching. 

Black-crowned    Night    Heron 

(Nycticorax  nycticorax  narvius) 

Called  also:  QUAWK;  QUA  BIRD 

Length — 23  to  26  inches.     Stands  fully  2  feet  high. 

Male  and  Female— Three  long  white  feathers,  often  twisted  into 
apparently  but  one,  at  the  back  of  head,  worn  only  at  the 
nesting  season.  Crown  and  back  greenish  or  dull  black; 
wings,  tail,  and  sides  of  neck  pearl  gray  with  a  lilac  tint; 
forehead,  throat,  and  underneath  white.  Legs  and  feet  yel- 
low; eyes  red;  bill  stout  and  black.  Immature  birds  very 
different:  grayish  brown,  streaked  or  spotted  with  buff  or 
white  on  upper  parts;  under  parts  white  streaked  with 
blackish ;  some  reddish  brown  feathers  in  wings. 

Range — United  States  and  British  provinces,  nesting  from  Mani- 
toba and  New  Brunswick  southward  to  South  America. 
Winters  in  Gulf  states  and  beyond. 

Season — Summer  -resident,  or  spring  and  autumn  migrant  north 
of  the  southern  states.     Resident  all  the  year  at  the  south. 
1 66 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

To  say  that  this  is  the  most  sociable  member  of  a  family  that 
contains  many  misanthropic  hermits,  gives  little  idea  of  the  night 
heron's  fondness  for  society.  Colonies  of  hundreds  of  pairs  are  still 
to  be  found,  thanks  to  the  bird's  secluded  and  nocturnal  habits. 
Some  heronries  contain  these  birds  living  among  the  blue,  the 
great  blue,  or  the  green  species,  but  in  no  very  advanced  state  of 
socialism,  however,  for  the  gossiping  and  noisy  quawking  over 
petty  quarrels  that  constantly  arise  make  the  place  a  pande- 
monium. Wilson,  who  usually  pays  only  the  kindest,  most 
appreciative  compliments  to  birds,  likens  the  noise  made  by 
these  to  that  of  two  or  three  hundred  Indians  choking  each  other! 

Not  because  the  flesh  of  this  bird  is  good  for  food,  or  its 
plumage  is  desired  for  hats,  but  because  it  is  a  nuisance  in  the 
neighborhood  where  civilization  creeps  upon  the  ancient  eyries, 
is  the  night  heron  hunted.  Flocks  become  so  attached  to  the 
home  of  their  ancestors,  that  only  the  harshest  persecution  drives 
them  away,  and  then  often  no  further  than  a  few  hundred  rods 
A  sickening  stench  pervades  the  air  blowing  off  a  heronry; 
decomposed  portions  of  fish,  frogs,  mice,  and  other  animal  food 
lie  about  on  the  ground,  that  is  white  with  the  birds'  excrements. 
At  Roslyn,  Long  Island,  almost  within  sight  of  New  York,  a 
large  colony  of  night  herons  that  were  driven  from  a  populated 
portion  of  the  town,  where  they  had  nested  and  roosted  for 
many  years,  finally  settled  in  a  well  wooded  swamp  not  far  off 
only  after  disgraceful  persecution.  One  man  boasts  of  having 
shot  three  hundred.  Nevertheless  there  must  be  a  thousand 
birds  there  still.  For  their  protection,  it  should  be  added  that 
there  are  few  less  inviting  places  to  visit  on  a  summer's  day 
than  this  heronry.  Certainly  there  is  as  much  sport  in  shooting 
at  the  broad  side  of  a  barn  as  in  hitting  one  of  these  large  birds 
that,  dazed  by  the  sunlight,  sits  motionless  on  a  distended  branch, 
where  any  tyro  could  hit  it  blindfolded. 

The  night  herons  arrive  from  the  south  about  the  middle 
of  April,  and  at  once  repair  what  is  left  of  the  rickety  platforms 
of  sticks  used  a  previous  season,  or  build  new  ones.  The 
wonder  is  they  can  weave  any  sort  of  a  lattice  out  of  such  stiff, 
unyielding  material.  These  nests  are  generally  in  the  tops  of  tall 
trees,  especially  the  cypresses,  swamp  oaks,  and  maples  and 
evergreens  near  or  growing  out  of  a  swamp;  but  there  are  also 
records  of  nests  in  bushes,  or  even  on  the  ground.  Often  fluffy, 

167 


Herons  and  Bitterns 

helpless  fledgelings  are  found  climbing  about  the  nest  while 
there  are  still  some  dull,  pale  blue  eggs  unhatched  in  June,  which 
•suggests  the  possibility  of  the  extension  of  socialism  into  the 
nurseries;  but  who  knows  whether  the  rightful  parents  rear  only 
their  own  young  ? 

Toward  sunset  all  the  eyries  in  the  swamps  are  emptied, 
and  although,  while  the  broods  are  young  and  incapable  of  mak- 
ing any  effort  whatever,  the  old  birds  must  go  a-fishing  by  day 
as  well  as  at  dusk,  it  is  at  twilight  and  later  in  the  night  that 
these  herons  choose  to  disperse  among  the  ditches,  shores  of 
ponds  and  streams,  the  bogs  and  marshy  meadows,  to  gorge 
upon  the  teeming  animal  life  there.  Next  to  this  bird's  fondness 
for  an  old,  colonial  homestead,  its  insatiable  appetite  is  perhaps 
its  most  prominent  characteristic.  Evidently  the  digestion  of  a 
young  heron  keeps  in  a  state  of  perpetual  motion.  The  old  birds, 
slender  as  they  always  are,  grow  perceptibly  thinner  while  rais- 
ing their  two  broods  a  year.  A  choking  noise,  like  the  painful 
effort  to  bring  up  a  fish  that  has  taken  a  wrong  course  down  the 
bird's  long  throat,  but  which  is  only  an  attempt  to  sing  or  con- 
verse, that  old  and  young  alike  are  constantly  making,  keeps 
a  heronry  well  advertised,  much  to  the  profit  of  the  hawks. 

Standing  motionless,  with  head  drawn  in  between  its  shoul- 
ders, as  it  waits  at  the  margin  of  a  pond  at  evening  for  the  food 
to  come  within  striking  range,  the  heron  can  scarcely  be  distin- 
guished from  a  crooked  stick.  However  deficient  its  sight  may 
be,  especially  by  day,  an  extraordinary  keenness  of  ear  detects 
the  first  creak  of  an  intruder's  foot,  and  with  a  quawk,  quawk, 
the  bird  rises  and  is  off,  trailing  its  legs  behind,  after  the  manner 
of  storks  that  Japanese  artists  have  made  so  familiar. 

Have  birds  a  color  sense?  A  night  heron  that  was  seen 
perching  among  the  gray  branches  of  a  native  beech  tree  must 
have  known  how  perfectly  its  coat  blended  with  its  surroundings, 
where  it  was  all  but  invisible  to  the  passers  by. 


168 


MARSH  BIRDS 


Cranes 
Rails 

Gallinules 
Coots 


169 


MARSH  BIRDS 

(Order  Paludicolce) 

Birds  of  the  plains  and  marshes,  the  two  families  comprising 
this  order  have  certain  resemblances  of  structure  that  unite  them 
into  a  distinct  order,  however  the  large  cranes,  with  their  long 
necks  and  legs,  seem  to  approach  more  nearly  the  herons  and 
their  allies  than  they  do  the  small  rails,  or  marsh  hens,  and  their 
congeners.  Cranes,  rails,  gallinules,  and  coots,  unlike  the  altricial 
heron  tribe,  are  precocial ;  that  is,  they  run  at  once  from  the  nest, 
well  clothed  with  down  when  hatched.  These  birds  have  four 
toes,  the  three  front  ones  long,  to  enable  the  birds  to  run  lightly 
over  the  oozy  ground;  the  hallux,  or  great  toe,  may  be  elevated 
at  the  back,  or,  as  in  the  case  of  gallinules  and  coots,  on  the  level 
with  the  front  ones,  which  in  several  species  are  lobate,  but  not 
flattened  also,  or  palmate,  as  the  grebes'  toes  are.  Five  large, 
strong  muscles  give  the  thighs  of  birds  of  this  order  special 
prominence,  and  influence  the  scientific  classification.  Shy,  suspi- 
cious skulkers,  more  fleet  of  foot  than  of  wing,  these  birds  escape 
danger  by  running  and  hiding  rather  than  by  flying. 


Cranes 

(Family  Gruidce) 

The  cranes,  as  a  family,  are  birds  of  largest  size,  seventeen 
vertebrae  being  the  usual  number  in  their  long  necks,  and  their 
stilt-like  legs  elevate  their  compactly  feathered  bodies  to  a  con- 
spicuous height.  Usually  the  head  is  partly  bare,  or  covered 
with  hairlike  feathers.  Bill  is  long,  straight,  slender,  and  strong. 
Plumage  either  white  or  gray.  Solitary  wanderers  over  the 

171 


Marsh  Birds 

plains  and  marshes,  the  cranes  associate  in  flocks  only  at  the 
migrations,  although  sometimes  not  averse  to  feeding  in  company 
with  other  birds,  like  the  geese,  for  example,  as  suspicious  as 
they.  Field  mice,  snakes,  lizards,  frogs,  berries,  and  cereals,  all 
are  swallowed  by  these  rapacious  feeders.  Their  voice  is  harsh, 
croaking,  and  resonant,  and  is  frequently  heard  at  night. 

Sandhill,  or  Brown  Crane. 

Whooping  Crane. 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

(Family  Rallidce) 

The  exceedingly  shy,  skulking  rails,  or  marsh  hens,  spend 
their  lives  hidden  among  the  sedges  of  marshes,  where  they  run 
very  lightly  over  the  oozy  ground,  picking  up  their  food  from  the 
surface  rather  than  treading  it  out  of  the  mud  with  their  long 
toes.  Like  the  gallinules,  they  associate  with  their  kin  where 
food  is  abundant  rather  than  from  pure  sociability.  In  spite  of 
their  short,  rounded  wings,  they  cover  immense  distances  in  their 
migrations;  but  when  flushed  in  the  marshes,  where  they  might 
remain  unsuspected  did  not  their  voices  betray  them,  they  rise  a 
few  feet  above  the  sedges,  and,  dragging  their  legs  after  them, 
quickly  drop  down  among  the  grasses  they  are  ever  loth  to  leave. 
All  manner  of  absurd  fables  about  the  rails  being  blown  in  from 
sea,  and  not  hatched  from  eggs,  and  certain  alleged  mysteries  of 
their  nests,  that  human  eye,  it  is  said,  has  never  looked  upon,  are 
palmed  off  upon  the  credulous,  not  only  by  the  superstitious 
darkies  in  southern  marshes,  but  by  white  people  of  intelligence, 
also.  Rails  are  birds  of  medium  or  small  size;  their  plumage 
differs  little  in  the  sexes  or  with  age  or  season ;  the  body  is  com- 
pressed to  a  point  in  front,  but  broad  and  blunt  behind,  this 
wedge  shaped  figure  enabling  the  bird  to  squeeze  through  the 
mazes  of  aquatic  undergrowth  where  it  finds  its  constant  home. 
"As  thin  as  a  rail"  is  a  truly  significant  term.  Gallinules  and 
coots  have  a  bare,  horny  plate  on  the  forehead;  some  of  the 
former  are  superbly  colored.  They  keep  more  to  the  muddy 
shores  of  lagoons  and  ponds  and  less  hidden  among  the  sedges 
than  the  rails.  Graceful  walkers,  they  are  good  swimmers  also, 

172 


Marsh  Birds 

though  their  toes  lack  the  lobes  that  enable  the  coots  to   pass 
much  of  their  lives  on  the  water.     Coots  live  in  flocks. 

Clapper  Rail. 

King  Rail,  or  Marsh  Hen. 

Virginia  Rail. 

Sora,  or  Carolina  Rail. 

Yellow  Rail. 

Little  Black  Rail. 

Common,  or  Florida  Gallinule. 

Purple  Gallinule. 

American  Coot,  or  Mud  Hen. 


'73 


CRANES 

(Family  Gruidce) 

Sandhill   Crane 

(Grus  mexicana) 

Called  also  :  BROWN  CRANE 

Length — 40  to  48  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Entire  plumage  leaden  gray,  more  brownish  on 
the  back  and  wings.  Upper  half  of  head  has  dull  reddish, 
warty  skin  covered  with  short,  black,  hairy  feathers.  Long, 
acute  bill.  Very  long,  stilt-like,  dark  legs,  the  tarsus  alone 
being  10  inches  long.  Tail  coverts  plumed.  Immature  birds 
have  heads  feathered  and  more  rusty  brown  in  their  plumage. 

Range — Most  abundant  in  the  interior,  on  the  Pacific  slope,  and  the 
southwest;  nests  from  the  Gulf  states  northward  through 
the  Mississippi  valley  to  Manitoba;  winters  in  the  Gulf  states 
and  Mexico. 

Season — Summer  resident  only  north  of  Florida,  Louisiana,  and 
Texas. 

Many  people  confuse  this  bird  with  the  great  blue  heron,  that 
is  more  often  called  by  the  crane's  name  than  its  own ;  but  beyond 
a  certain  resemblance  of  long  legs  and  necks,  these  two  birds 
have  little  or  nothing  in  common. 

Immediately  on  their  arrival  in  the  spring  the  cranes  go 
through  clownish  performances,  as  if  they  were  trying  to  be  awk- 
ward for  the  sake  of  being  ridiculous ;  far  from  their  real  inten- 
tion, however,  for  it  is  by  these  antics  that  mates  are  wooed  and 
won.  They  bow  and  leap  "  high  in  the  air,"  says  Colonel  Goss, 
"hopping,  skipping  and  circling  about  with  drooping  wings  and 
croaking  whoop,  an  almost  indescribable  dance  and  din  in  which 
the  females  (an  exception  to  the  rule)  join,  all  working  themselves 
up  into  a  fever  of  excitement  equaled  only  by  an  Indian  war  dance, 
and  like  the  same,  it  stops  only  when  the  last  one  is  exhausted:" 


Cranes 

— strange  performances  indeed  for  birds  preeminently  pompous 
and  circumspect!  Certain  of  the  owls  and  plovers  and  the  flicker 
also  go  through  laughable  antics  to  win  their  coy  brides,  but  such 
boldness  of  wooing  by  the  female  cranes  presages  the  arrival  of  a 
"coming  woman"  among  birds,  still  more  nearly  approached  by 
the  female  phalarope,  that,  without  encouragement,  does  all  the 
wooing. 

One  may  more  easily  hope  to  find  a  weasel  asleep  than  to 
steal  upon  a  crane  unawares.  Before  settling  down  to  a  feeding 
ground,  it  will  describe  great  spirals  in  the  air  to  reconnoitre,  the 
ponderous  body  moving  with  slow  wing  beats,  while  the  keen  eyes 
scrutinize  every  inch  of  the  region  lest  danger  lurk  in  ambush. 
Grrrrrrrrrrroo,  a  harsh,  penetrating  tremolo  calls  out  to  learn  if  the 
coast  is  clear,  and  grrrrrrrrrooo  come  back  the  raucous  cries  from 
sentinels  far  and  near.  Hidden  in  the  grasses,  cramped,  motion- 
less, breathless,  one  may  be  finally  rewarded  by  the  alighting 
of  the  great  stately  bird  that  finally  comes  drifting  downward  and 
stalks  over  the  meadow,  alert  and  suspicious.  Not  a  sound 
escapes  its  sharp  ears,  nor  a  skulking  mouse  its  even  sharper 
eyes.  It  will  thrust  its  beak  unopened  through  its  prey,  whether 
it  is  a  fish,  frog,  mouse,  or  reptile.  This  terrible  weapon  makes 
cowards  of  the  crane's  foes,  small  and  large,  yet  it  is  the  bearer 
of  the  spear  that  is  the  greatest  coward  of  all. 

In  addition  to  animal  food,  cranes  eat  quantities  of  cereals, 
and  when  vegetable  fed,  as  they  are  apt  to  be  in  autumn,  sports- 
men hunt  them  eagerly,  but  not  too  successfully,  for  no  other 
game  bird,  unless  it  is  the  whooping  crane  or  the  wild  turkey,  so 
taxes  their  skill.  It  is  impossible  to  steal  upon  them  on  the  open 
prairie;  and  in  the  grass-grown  sloughs  approach  is  hardly  less 
difficult.  After  each  bending  of  the  long  neck,  up  rises  the  head 
for  another  reconnoitre.  If  any  unusual  sight  come  within  range, 
the  bird  stands  motionless  and  tense;  then  convinced  of  real  dan- 
ger, "he  bends  his  muscular  thighs,  spreads  his  ample  wings  and 
springs  heavily  into  the  air,  croaking  dismally  in  warning  to  all 
his  kind  within  the  far-reaching  sound  of  his  voice,"  to  quote  Dr. 
Coues.  In  spite  of  its  heavy  body  the  crane  rises  with  slow  cir- 
clings  to  a  great  height  until,  large  as  it  is,  it  becomes  a  mere 
speck  against  the  clouds.  The  long  neck  and  stilt-like  legs  are 
stretched  out  on  a  line  with  its  body,  in  the  attitude  made  so 
familiar  by  the  Japanese  decorators  of  our  screens  and  fans.  Dur- 


Cranes 

ing  the  migrations  a  flock  proceeds  single  file  under  the  leadership 
of  a  wary  and  hoarse-voiced  veteran,  whose  orders,  implicitly 
followed  by  each,  must  first  be  repeated  down  the  line  that  winds 
across  the  sky  like  a  great  serpent. 

The  Whooping,  or  White  Crane  (Grus  americana),  the  larg- 
est bird  we  have,  measuring  as  it  does  over  four  feet  in  length, 
rarely  comes  east  of  the  Mississippi,  although  its  migrations  extend 
from  South  America  to  the  Arctic  Circle.  Apparently  the  habits 
of  the  two  cranes  are  almost  identical,  and  it  is  even  claimed  by 
some  that  one  alleged  third  species,  the  little  brown  crane,  is  sim- 
ply an  immature  whooper,  in  which  case  every  feather  it  owns 
must  be  shed  before  it  appears  in  the  glistening  white  plumage  of 
its  parents.  Both  the  whooping  and  sandhill  cranes  build  nests 
of  roots,  rushes,  and  weed-stalks  in  some  marshy  place,  and  the 
two  eggs  of  each,  which  are  four  inches  long,  are  olive  gray,  in- 
distinctly spotted  and  blotched  with  cinnamon  brown. 


176 


RAILS,  GALLINULES,  COOTS 

(Family  Rallidce) 

Clapper  Rail 

(Rallus  longirostris  crepitans) 

Called  also:    MARSH,    OR    MUD    HEN;    BIG  RAIL;  SALT- 
WATER  MEADOW   HEN 

Length— i  4  to  1 6  inches. 

Male  and  Female—  Upper  parts  pale  olive  varied  with  gray,  each 
feather  having  a  wide  gray  margin  ;  more  grayish  brown  on 
wings  and  tail,  and  cinnamon  brown  on  wing  coverts. 
Line  above  eye  and  the  throat  white,  merging  into  the  gray- 
ish buff  neck  and  breast  ;  sides  and  underneath  brownish 
gray  barred  with  white.  Body  much  compressed.  Bill 
longer  than  head,  and  yellowish  brown,  the  same  color  as 
legs.  Young  fledgelings  black. 

Range — Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts  of  United  States,  nesting  from 
Connecticut  southward,  and  resident  south  of  the  Potomac. 

Season — April  to  October,  north  of  Washington. 

Salt  marshes,  mangrove  swamps,  and  grassy  fields  along  the 
seacoast  contain  more  of  these  little  gray  skulkers  than  the  keen- 
est eye  suspects;  and  were  it  not  for  their  incessant  chattering, 
who  would  ever  know  they  had  come  up  from  the  south  to 
spend  the  summer?  At  the  nesting  season  there  can  be  no 
noisier  birds  anywhere  than  these;  the  marshes  echo  with  their 
"  long,  rolling  cry,"  that  is  taken  up  and  repeated  by  each  mem- 
ber of  the  community,  until  the  chorus  attracts  every  gunner  to 
the  place.  Immense  numbers  of  the  compressed,  thin  bodies, 
that  often  measure  no  more  than  an  inch  and  a  quarter  through 
the  breast,  find  their  way  to  the  city  markets  from  the  New 
Jersey  salt  meadows,  after  they  have  taken  on  a  little  fat  in  the 
wild  oat  fields.  "  As  thin  as  a  rail  "  is  a  suggestive  saying,  indeed, 
to  the  cook  who  has  picked  one. 

177 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

To  get  a  good  look  at  these  birds  in  their  grassy  retreats  is 
no  easy  matter.  Row  a  scow  over  the  submerged  grass  at  high 
tide  as  far  as  it  will  go,  listen  for  the  skulking  clatterers,  and  if 
near  by,  plunge  from  the  bow  into  the  muddy  meadow,  and  you 
may  have  the  good  fortune  to  flush  a  bird  or  two  that  rises  flut- 
tering just  above  the  sedges,  flies  a  few  yards  trailing  its  legs 
behind  it,  and  drops  into  the  grasses  again  before  you  can  press 
the  button  of  your  camera.  A  rarer  sight  still  is  to  see  a  clapper 
rail  running,  with  head  tilted  downward  and  tail  upward,  in  a 
ludicrous  gait,  threading  in  and  out  of  the  grassy  maze.  Stand- 
ing on  one  leg,  with  the  toes  of  the  other  foot  curled  in,  is  a 
favorite  posture;  or  one  may  be  detected  climbing  up  the  reeds 
to  pick  off  the  seeds  at  the  top,  clasping  the  stem  with  the  help 
of  its  low,  short,  hind  toes.  A  rail's  feet  are  wide  spread  because 
of  long  toes  in  front,  that  prevent  the  bird  from  sinking  into  the 
mud  and  scum  it  so  lightly  runs  over.  It  can  swim  fairly  well, 
but  not  fast.  As  might  be  expected  in  birds  so  shy,  these  be- 
come more  active  toward  dusk,  their  favorite  feeding  hour,  and 
certainly  more  noisy. 

Not  even  to  nest  will  a  clapper  rail  go  much  beyond  tide 
water.  From  six  to  twelve  cream  white  eggs  spotted  with 
reddish  brown  are  laid  in  a  rude  platform  of  reeds  and  finer 
grasses  on  the  ground,  where  they  must  always  be  damp  if  not 
wet;  yet  who  ever  finds  a  mother  rail  keeping  the  eggs  warm  ? 

The  King  Rail,  the  Red  Breasted  Rail,  or  Fresh  Water  Marsh 
Hen  (Rallus  elegans)  differs  from  its  more  abundant  salt  water 
prototype  chiefly  in  being  larger  and  more  brightly  colored,  and 
possessing  a  more  musical  voice.  Olive  brown,  varied  with 
black  above;  rich  chestnut  on  the  wing  coverts;  reddish  cinnamon 
on  breast  that  fades  to  white  on  the  throat;  sides  and  underneath 
dusky,  barred  with  white,  are  features  to  be  noted  in  distinguish- 
ing it  from  the  grayish  clapper.  A  marsh  overgrown  with  sedges 
and  drained  by  a  sluggish  fresh  water  stream  makes  the  ideal 
feeding  and  nesting  ground  of  the  king  rail  from  the  southern 
and  middle  states  northward  to  Ontario.  In  habits  these  two 
rails  are  closely  related.  Mr.  Frank  Chapman  describes  the  king 
rail's  call  as  "a  loud,  startling  bup,  bup,  bup,  bup,  bup,  uttered 
with  increasing  rapidity  until  the  syllables  were  barely  dis- 
tinguishable, then  ending  somewhat  as  it  began.  The  whole 

178 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

performance  occupied  about  five  seconds."  Of  all  impossible 
clews  to  the  identification  of  a  bird,  that  of  its  notes  as  written 
down  differently  in  every  book  you  pick  up  is  the  most  hopeless 
to  the  novice  without  field  practice.  Nearly  all  the  rails  have 
a  sort  of  tree  toad  rattle  in  addition  to  some  other  notes,  which 
in  the  king  rail's  case  have  a  metallic,  ringing  quality,  and  that  are 
perhaps  most  intelligibly  written  "ke-link-kink;  hink-kinh-kink." 

Virginia  Rail 

(Rallus  virginianus) 

Called  also:     LESSER  CLAPPER  RAIL;    LITTLE    RED   RAIL; 
FRESH  WATER  MUD  HEN 

Length — 8. 50  to  10  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Like  small  king  rails;  streaked  with  dark 
brown  and  yellowish  olive  above;  reddish  chestnut  wing 
coverts;  plain  brown  on  top  of  head  and  back  of  neck;  a 
white  eyebrow ;  throat  white;  breast  and  sides  bright  rufous; 
flanks,  wing  linings,  and  under  tail  coverts  broadly  barred 
with  dark  brown  and  white ;  eyes  red. 

Range — From  British  Provinces  to  Guatemala  and  Cuba;  nests 
from  New  York,  Ohio,  and  Illinois  northward;  winters  from 
near  the  southern  limit  of  its  nesting  range  southward. 

Season — Summer  resident,  April  to  October,  north  of  Washington. 

When  the  original  grant  of  Queen  Elizabeth  included  nearly 
all  the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  that  the  Massachusetts 
Bay  Colony  did  not  take  in,  the  Virginia  rail's  name  would  have 
been  more  appropriate  than  it  is  to-day;  for  it  is  by  no  means  a 
local  bird,  as  its  name  might  imply,  and  neither  on  the  coast  nor 
in  the  interior,  north  and  south,  is  it  rare.  Short  of  wing,  with  a 
feeble,  fluttering  flight  when  flushed  from  the  marsh,  into  which 
it  quickly  drops  again,  as  if  incapable  of  going  farther,  this  small 
land  lover  can  nevertheless  migrate  immense  distances.  One 
straggler  from  a  flock  going  southward  recently  fell  exhausted  on 
the  deck  of  a  vessel  off  the  Long  Island  coast  nearly  a  hundred 
miles  at  sea.  The  ornithologist  must  frequently  smile  at  the 
mysteries  and  superstitions  associated  with  the  nesting  and 
migrating  habits  of  this  and  other  rails  by  the  unintelligent. 

Doubtless  there  are  many  more  of  all  species  of  rails  in  the 
United  States  than  even  one  who  scoured  the  marshes  would 

179 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

suppose.  It  is  only  at  high  tide  along  the  coast  that  a  boat  may 
enter  their  marshy  retreats  far  enough  to  flush  any  birds.  The 
rest,  secure  in  the  tall  sedges,  run  in  and  out  of  the  tall  grass  on 
well  beaten  paths  and  through  aisles  of  their  own  making  without 
giving  a  hint  as  to  their  whereabouts.  This  bird,  like  the  king 
rail,  is  frequently  called  a  fresh  water,  marsh,  or  mud  hen ;  not 
because  it  eschews  salt  water,  but  because,  even  near  the  sea,  it 
is  apt  to  find  out  those  spots  in  the  bay  where  fresh  water  springs 
bubble  up  rather  than  the  brackish.  Only  the  bobolinks  and  red- 
winged  blackbirds,  feeding  with  them  on  wild  oats  or  rice,  the 
swamp  sparrows,  marsh  wrens,  and  other  companions  of  the 
morass,  know  how  many  rails  are  hidden  among  the  bulrushes, 
sedges,  and  bushes. 

During  May,  when  a  nest  of  grasses  is  built  on  the  ground, 
in  a  tussock  that  screens  from  six  to  twelve  pale  buff,  brown 
spotted  eggs;  and  in  June,  when  a  brood  of  downy  black  chicks 
comes  out  of  the  shell,  the  penetrating  voice  of  the  Virginia  rail 
incessantly  calls  out  cut,  cutta-cutta-cutta  to  his  mate.  "When 
heard  at  a  distance  of  only  a  few  yards,"  says  Brewster,  "  it  has 
a  vibrating,  almost  unearthly  quality,  and  seems  to  issue  from 
the  ground  directly  beneath  one's  feet.  The  female,  when 
anxious  about  her  eggs  or  young,  calls  ki-ki-ki  in  low  tones,  and 
kiu  much  like  a  flicker.  The  young  of  both  sexes  in  autumn 
give,  when  startled,  a  short,  explosive  kep  or  kik,  closely  similar 
to  that  of  the  Carolina  rail."  Still  another  sound  is  a  succession 
of  pig-like  grunts,  made  early  in  the  morning,  late  in  the  after- 
noon, or  in  cloudy  weather.  Confusing  as  are  the  notes  of  the 
different  rails,  they  must  be  learned  if  one  is  to  know  the  shy 
skulkers,  that,  unlike  a  good  child,  are  so  much  more  often  heard 
than  seen. 

Sora 

(Por^ana  Carolina) 

Called  also:    CAROLINA  RAIL,  OR  CRAKE;  COMMON  RAIL; 
"ORTOLAN;"  SOREE;   MUD  HEN 

Length — 8  to  9. 50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — "Above,  olive  brown  varied  with  black  and 
gray;  front  of  head,  stripe  on  crown,  and  line  on  throat, 
black;  side  of  head  and  .breast  ashy  gr?"  or  slate;  sides  of 
1 80 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

breast  spotted  with  white;  flanks  barred  slate  and  white; 
belly  white."  (Nuttail.)  Bill  stout  and  short  (.?5  of  an  inch 
long).  Immature  birds  have  brown  breast,  no  black  on  head, 
and  a  white  throat. 

JRange — Temperate  North  America;  more  abundant  on  the  Atlantic 
than  the  Pacific  slope.  Nests  from  Kansas,  Illinois,  and  New 
York  northward  to  Hudson  Bay;  winters  from  pur  southern 
states  to  West  Indies  and  northern  South  America. 

Season— Common  summer  resident  at  the  north;  winter  resident 
south  of  North  Carolina;  sometimes  in  sheltered  marshes 
farther  north. 

Where  flocks  of  bobolinks  (transformed  by  a  heavy  moult  into 
the  streaked  brown  reed  birds  of  the  south)  congregate  to  feed 
upon  the  wild  rice  or  oats  in  early  autumn,  sportsmen  bag  the 
soras  also  by  tens  of  thousands  annually,  both  of  these  misnamed 
"ortolans"  coming  into  market  in  September  and  October,  by 
which  time  the  sora's  pitifully  small,  thin  body  has  acquired  the 
only  fat  it  ever  boasts.  "As  thin  as  a  rail "  at  every  other  season, 
however,  is  a  most  significant  expression,  yet  many  people  think 
it  is  a  fence  rail  that  the  adage  refers  to. 

The  strongly  compressed  heads  and  bodies  of  all  the  rail  tribe, 
enabling  these  birds  to  thread  the  maze  of  aisles  among  the  sedges 
without  causing  a  blade  to  quiver  and  tell  the  tale  of  their  where- 
abouts, is  almost  ludicrous  when  exposed  to  view — a  rare  sight. 
After  one  has  punted  a  skiff  over  the  partly  submerged  grass  of 
their  retreats  and  has  waited  silent  and  motionless  for  endless 
moments,  a  dingy  little  brown,  black,  and  gray  bird  may  walk 
gingerly  out  of  the  reeds,  placing  one  long  foot  timidly  before 
the  other,  curling  the  toes  of  each  foot  as  it  is  raised,  while 
with  head  thrust  forward  and  downward,  and  with  the  elevation 
of  the  rear  end  of  the  body  emphasized  by  the  pointed  tail  that 
jerks  nervously  at  every  step  taken,  an  incarnation  of  fear  moves 
before  you.  One  old  shooter  declares  he  has  seen  rails  swoon  and 
go  into  fits  from  fright. 

Food  gathered  from  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  picked  off 
with  sharp  pecks,  but  all  the  rails  run  up  the  rushes  also,  clinging 
with  the  help  of  their  hind  toes  to  the  swaying  stem  within  reach 
of  the  grain  hanging  in  tassels  at  the  top.  The  long  front  toes, 
flattened  but  scarcely  lobed,  enable  them  to  swim  across  a  ditch 
or  inlet,  and  all  the  rails  are  good  divers.  Rather  than  expose 
themselves  as  a  target  for  the  gunner,  they  will  cling  to  submerged 

181 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

stalks,  with  their  bills  only  above  water,  and  allow  a  skiff  to  pass 
over  them,  without  stirring.  When  thoroughly  frightened  by  the 
dogs'  constant  flushing,  and  the  shooting  of  their  masters  in  the 
marsh,  or,  more  particularly,  when  wounded,  many  never  rise 
again. 

It  is  always  the  sportsman's  hope  to  flush  the  rails,  whose 
strong  legs  and  skulking  habits  sufficiently  protect  them  in  the 
sedges,  but  whose  slow,  short  flight  keeps  them  within  range  of 
the  veriest  tyro.  The  'prentice  hand  is  tried  on  rails.  Trailing 
their  legs  after  them,  and  feebly  fluttering  their  wings  as  they  rise 
just  above  the  tops  of  the  rushes,  they  soon  drop  down  into  them 
again  as  if  exhausted ;  yet  these  are  the  very  birds  that  migrate 
from  the  West  Indies  to  Hudson  Bay.  Their  flight  is  by  no  means 
so  feeble  as  it  appears.  Darky  "  pushers  "  enfold  the  goings  and 
comings,  the  nesting  and  incubation  of  the  rails,  with  all  manner 
of  absurd  superstitions. 

Were  it  not  for  the  incessant  squeaking,  "like  young  pup- 
pies," that  is  kept  up  in  the  haunts  of  soras,  especially  at  dusk, 
morning  or  evening,  or  at  the  nesting  season,  or  when  startled  by 
a  sudden  noise,  we  should  never  suspect  there  were  birds  living 
in  the  marshes.  Pushers  in  the  reedy  lakes  of  Illinois  and  Michi- 
gan, and  along  the  low  shores  of  the  James  and  other  quiet  rivers, 
sweetly  whistle  and  call  ker-wee,  ker-wee,  peep,  peep,  and  kuk, 
'kuk,  'kuk,  k,  'k,'k,  'kuk,  until  scores  of  throats  reply,  and  slaughter 
soon  commences.  What  little  tender  flesh  there  is  on  the  rails' 
poor  bodies,  rather  flavorless  and  sapid  at  the  best,  is  filled  with 
shot  for  the  gourmands  to  grit  their  teeth  against.  As  Mrs.  Wright 
says  of  the  bobolinks,  so  it  may  be  said  of  the  broiled  or  skewered 
soras,  that  they  only  serve  "to  lengthen  some  weary  dinner 
where  a  collection  of  animal  and  vegetable  bric-a-brac  takes  the 
place  of  satisfactory  nourishment." 

In  the  sedges  that  shelter  and  feed  them,  the  rails  also  build 
their  matted  grassy  nest,  never  far  from  the  water,  and  indeed 
often  lifted  into  a  tussock  of  grasses  washed  by  it.  The  eggs, 
more  drab  than  buff,  but  spotted  and  marked  with  reddish  brown 
like  the  Virginia  rail's,  may  number  as  many  as  fifteen ;  and  the 
glossy  black  chicks  run  about  on  strong  legs,  but  with  the  creep- 
ing timidity  of  mice,  from  the  hour  of  hatching. 

The  Yellow,  or  New  York,  or  Yellow-breasted  Rail  (Por^ana 
182 


Rails,  Galliuules,  Coots 

noveboracensis),  an  even  more  skulking,  timid  species  than  the 
sora,  has  a  reputation  for  rarity  that  doubtless  the  blackbirds, 
bobolinks,  and  marsh  wrens,  which  alone  can  penetrate  into  the 
mysteries  of  the  sedges,  would  express  differently  were  they  able 
to  retail  secrets.  This  small  rail,  that  measures  only  seven  inches 
in  length,  has  more  wisdom  than  its  larger  kin,  and  refuses  to  be 
flushed  except  in  extreme  cases,  for  the  gunners  to  hit  during  its 
feeble,  fluttering  flight.  Dogs  must  be  sent  into  the  marshes 
after  the  panic  stricken  birds  running  through  aisles  of  grasses 
until  about  to  be  overtaken,  when  they  escape  by  rising  from  the 
frying  pan  of  the  dogs'  jaws  only  to  fall  into  the  fire  of  shot  from 
the  rifles.  Ordinarily  they  keep  so  closely  concealed  among  the 
grasses,  that  were  it  not  for  their  croaking  call,  suggesting  the 
voice  of  the  tree  toad,  no  one  would  suspect  their  presence.  All 
rails  are  more  or  less  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  and  the  yellow- 
breasted  species,  more  full  of  fears  than  any,  rarely  lifts  up  its 
voice,  that  Nuttall  described  as  an  "abrupt  and  cackling  cry 
'krek,  'krek,  'hrek,  krek,  kuk,  h  'uh,"  after  daylight  or  before 
sunset.  The  description  of  the  sora's  habits,  which  are  almost 
identical  with  this  rail's,  should  be  read  to  avoid  repetition.  In 
plumage,  however,  these  two  birds  are  quite  different,  the 
yellow-breasted  rail  having  black  upper  parts  streaked  with 
brownish  yellow  and  marked  with  white  bars,  the  buff  of  the 
breast  growing  paler  underneath,  the  dusky  flanks  barred  with 
white,  and  the  under  coverts  varied  with  black,  white,  and  rufous. 
Its  wing  linings  are  white,  but  these  the  bird  takes  good  care  not 
to  show. 

The  Little  Black  Rail,  or  Crake  (Por^ana  jamaicensis),  the 
smallest  of  the  family,  exhibits  all  the  family  shyness  and  fear, 
which,  taken  with  its  obscure  coloration  and  its  extreme  unwill- 
ingness to  rise  on  the  wing,  keep  it  almost  unknown,  although 
its  range  extends  from  Massachusetts,  Illinois,  and  Oregon  to 
Louisiana,  the  West  Indies,  and  Central  America.  As  its  name 
implies,  it  is  common  in  Jamaica.  Mr.  Marsh  of  that  island  writes 
its  call  "  chi-chi-cro-croo-croo,  several  times  repeated  in  sharp  high 
notes  so  as  to  be  audible  to  a  considerable  distance."  Guided  by 
this  call,  one  may  count  oneself  rarely  fortunate  to  discover  the 
little  mouse-like  bird  that  makes  it,  running  swiftly  in  and  out  of 
the  sedges.  Its  head,  breast,  and  under  parts  are  slate  color;  its 

183 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

fore  back  and  nape  are  rich  brown ;  its  lower  back,  wings,  and 
tail  are  brownish  black  spotted  with  white,  and  the  flanks  and 
dusky  under  parts  are  barred  with  white. 


Common  Gallinule 

(Gallinula  galeata) 

Called  also:    FLORIDA    GALLINULE;    WATER    HEN;  RED- 
BILLED  MUD  HEN;  BLUE  RAIL 

Length — 12  to  14  inches. 

Male  and  Female — A  bare,  bright  red  shield  on  forehead,  same 
color  as  bill;  plumage  uniform  dark  bluish  or  grayish  black, 
darkest  on  head  and  neck;  washed  with  olive  brown  on 
back  and  shoulders,  and  fading  to  whitish  underneath;  flanks 
conspicuously  streaked  with  white;  space  under  tail  white; 
legs  greenish  yellow,  reddish  at  joint. 

Range — Temperate  and  tropical  America,  nesting  from  Ontario 
and  New  England  to  Brazil  and  Chili,  and  wintering  from 
our  southern  states  southward. 

Season — Summer  resident  or  transient  summer  visitor,  from  May 
to  October,  north  of  the  southern  states. 

There  is  a  popular  impression,  for  which  the  early  ornitholo- 
gists are  doubtless  responsible,  that  all  gallinules  are  birds  of  the 
tropics;  but  this  so-called  Florida  species  crosses  the  Canadian 
borders  in  no  small  numbers  every  summer,  and  nests  are  also 
constantly  reported  in  our  northern  and  middle  states.  The 
truth  probably  is  that  the  range  of  the  Florida  gallinule  has  not 
extended,  but  that  within  the  last  half  century  a  hundred  bird 
students  scour  our  woods,  meadows,  and  marshes  for  every 
enthusiast  that  tramped  over  them  fifty  years  ago;  and  we  are 
just  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with  many  of  our  birds 
when  the  gunners,  milliners,  cats,  and  other  fatal  accompaniments 
of  a  civilization  that  in  many  respects  is  still  barbaric,  threaten  to 
exterminate  the  sadly  decreased  numbers  left  us  to  enjoy. 

Gallinules,  although  wild,  shy,  and  timid  creatures,  or  they 
would  be  no  kin  of  the  rails,  wade  more  than  they  and  swim 
expertly.  It  is  amusing  to  watch  their  heads  bob  in  rhythm 
with  their  feet  as  they  rest  lightly  on  the  water.  In  brackish 
pools  rather  than  salt  ones,  and  preferably  around  fresh  water 

184 


PURPLE  GALLINULE. 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

lakes  and  meadow  brooks,  they  keep  well  concealed  among  the 
sedges  while  the  sun  is  high  or  when  danger  threatens,  coming 
boldly  out  to  feed  on  the  mud  flats  at  dusk,  or  when  they  think 
themselves  unobserved.  Apparently  they  tolerate  other  galli- 
nules'  society  only  if  they  must.  Quarrels  arising  from  jealousies 
over  an  infringement  of  territorial  rights  frequently  occur. 

A  gallinule  strides  from  its  grassy  screen  with  grace  and 
elegance,  curling  its  toes  when  it  lifts  its  large  foot,  as  if  it  had 
taken  a  course  of  Delsarte  exercises.  Wading  into  the  shallow 
pool,  still  curling  its  long  toes  before  plunging  its  foot  down- 
ward, and  tipping  its  tail  at  every  step,  showing  the  white 
feathers  below  it,  the  bird  strides  along,  close  to  the  shore,  stop- 
ping from  time  to  time  to  nip  the  grasses  and  seeds  on  the  bank, 
or  to  secure  some  bit  of  animal  food  on  the  muddy  bottom  of  the 
water.  Snails  and  plantains  are  favorite  morsels.  When  lily 
pads  or  other  flat  leaved  plants  appear  on  its  path,  the  gallinule 
runs  lightly  over  them,  upheld  partly  by  its  long  toes  and  partly 
by  its  fluttering  wings.  Dr.  Abbott  tells  of  seeing  a  gallinule  in 
his  favorite  New  Jersey  creek  that  went  through  the  unusual  (?) 
performance  of  throwing  back  its  head  until  the  occiput  rested  on 
its  shoulders,  and  at  the  same  moment  the  wings  were  lifted 
lightly  as  if  the  bird  intended  to  fly. 

But  flying  is  an  art  this  terrestrial  wader  practices  rarely.  It 
depends  sometimes  upon  swimming  and  diving,  but  almost 
always  on  running,  to  escape  danger,  many  men  of  science 
claiming  that  a  large  part  of  its  migrating  also  is  done  a-foot. 
As  the  family  parties  escape  under  cover  of  darkness,  and  steal 
away  as  silently  as  the  Arabs,  who  knows  positively  how  they 
travel  ?  A  gallinule,  equally  with  a  barnyard  chicken,  appears 
ridiculous  and  out  of  its  element  in  the  air  as  it  labors  along  a  few 
paces,  dragging  its  legs  after  it,  and  drops  awkwardly  to  the 
ground. 

The  similarity  to  a  chicken  does  not  end  with  flight.  In 
appearance,  as  in  habits,  and  particularly  in  voice,  the  water  hens 
and  hens  of  the  poultry  yard  have  much  in  common.  A  single 
pair  in  a  swamp  keep  up  clatter  enough  for  a  yard  full  of  fowls, 
"now  loud  and  terror  stricken  like  a  hen  whose  head  is  just 
going  to  be  cut  off,"  as  a  friend  of  Bradford  Torrey's  expressed 
it;  "then  soft  and  full  of  content,  as  if  the  aforesaid  hen  had  laid 
an  egg  ten  minutes  before  and  were  still  felicitating  herself  upon 

185 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

the  achievement."  When  both  the  Florida  and  the  purple  galli- 
nules  build  their  nests,  they  very  often  simply  bend  down  the 
tops  of  grasses  to  form  a  platform,  then  place  a  rude,  grassy 
cradle  on  it;  or  the  nest  may  be  moored  to  the  stems  of  the 
rushes,  or  to  a  bush,  where  the  incoming  tide  raises  it,  but  can- 
not loosen  its  anchors.  But  usually  drier  sites  are  chosen. 

The  Purple  Gallinule  (lonornis  martinica),  a  common  bird  in 
the  southern  states,  nests  so  far  north  as  southern  Illinois  and 
Carolina,  and  occasionally  strays  northward  to  New  England  and 
Wisconsin.  In  the  Gulf  states  it  is  usually  found  in  the  same 
marsh  with  the  Florida  gallinule,  eating  the  same  food,  nesting 
in  the  same  manner,  cackling  like  a  chicken,  in  fact  sharing 
nearly  all  its  cousin's  habits,  its  gorgeous  plumage  alone  giving 
it  distinction. 

American    Coot 

(Fulica  americana) 

Called  also:  WHITE-BILLED  COOT;  CINEROUS  COOT;  MUD 
HEN;  CROW  DUCK;  BLUE  PETER;  MOOR  HEN; 
MEADOW  HEN 

Length — 14  to  16  inches. 

Male  and  Female — General  color  slate;  very  dark  on  head  and 
neck,  lighter  on  under  parts;  edge  of  wing,  tips  of  secon- 
daries, and  space  below  tail,  white.  Bill  ivory  white;  two 
brownish  spots  near  tip,  the  same  shade  as  the  horny  plate 
on  front  of  head,  which  is  a  characteristic  mark  of  both 
gallinules  and  coots.  Legs  and  feet  pale  green,  the  latter 
with  scalloped  lobes. 

Range— North  America  at  large,  from  Greenland  and  Alaska  to 
the  West  Indies  and  Central  America;  nesting  throughout 
range,  but  more  rarely  on  Atlantic  coast. 

Season — Resident  in  the  south;  chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  mi- 
grant at  the  north,  April,  May;  September  to  November. 

More  aquatic  than  any  of  its  kin,  the  coot  delights  in  the 
swimming  and  diving  feats  of  a  grebe,  and  appears  to  be  the 
connecting  link  between  the  swimmers,  with  whom  it  was 
formerly  classed,  owing  to  its  lobed  toes.  What  these  toes  lack 
in  width  is  amply  made  up  in  length,  the  fact  that  makes  the 

1 86 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

bird  so  expert  in  the  water  and  correspondingly  awkward  when 
it  runs  over  the  land,  where,  however,  it  spends  very  little  time. 
It  is  the  horny  frontal  plate,  taken  with  the  general  resemblance 
in  structure  to  the  gallinules,  that  places  the  coot  in  their  class. 

A  lake  or  quiet  river  surrounded  by  large  marshy  tracts 
where  sluggish  streams  meander,  bringing  down  into  deeper 
water  wild  grain  and  seeds,  the  larvae  of  insects,  fish  spawn, 
snails,  worms,  and  vegetable  matter,  makes  the  ideal  home  of 
this  duck-like  bird.  "  I  come  from  the  haunts  of  coot  and  hern," 
the  song  of  Tennyson's  brook,  calls  up  a  picture  of  the  home 
that  needs  no  enlarging.  The  coot  dives  for  food  to  great  depths, 
sometimes  sinking  grebe  fashion,  and  disappearing  to  parts 
unknown  by  a  long  swim  under  water  with  the  help  of  both 
wings  and  feet.  Swimming  on  the  surface,  the  bird  has  a  funny 
habit  of  bobbing  its  head  in  unison  with  the  strokes  given  in  the 
stern  by  its  twin  screws. 

A  large  amount  of  gravel  seems  necessary  to  help  digest  the 
quantity  of  grain  swallowed,  and  for  this  a  flock  of  coots  must 
sometimes  leave  the  muddy  region  of  the  lake.  Rising  from  the 
surface,  they  flutter  just  above  it,  pattering  along  for  a  distance, 
their  distended  feet  striking  the  water  constantly,  until  sufficient 
momentum  is  gained  to  spring  into  the  air  and  trust  to  wing 
power  alone.  This  pattering  noise  and  splashing,  often  heard 
when  the  coots  cannot  be  seen  for  the  tall  sedges  that  screen 
them,  is  characteristic  of  several  of  the  ducks  also,  and  suggests 
the  notion  that  the  trick  may  have  been  learned  from  them ;  for  in 
southern  waters,  at  least,  coots  and  ducks  often  resort  to  the 
same  lakes  ; — that  is,  when  the  latter  refuse  to  be  driven  off.  .  At 
no  time  of  the  year  silent  birds,  often  incessant  chatterers, 
it  is  during  the  nesting  season  that  the  coots  break  out  into 
shrill,  high-pitched,  noisy  cacklings,  which  the  slightest  dis- 
turbance calls  forth.  Jealous,  unwilling  to  permit  alien  swim- 
mers in  their  neighborhood,  sociable,  but  without  any  great  love 
of  kin  or  kind  to  mellow  their  dispositions  or  their  voices,  they 
make  their  neighborhood  lively.  But  coots  are  shy  of  men,  albeit 
the  young  and  old  alike  have  flesh  no  one  not  starving  could 
eat;  and  they  usually  live  in  some  inaccessible  pond  or  swamp, 
especially  at  the  nesting  season.  As  night  approaches,  they 
lose  much  of  the  timidity  which  keeps  them  concealed  and 
silent  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 

187 


Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots 

In  May  a  nest  has  been  built  by  first  trampling  down  the 
rushes  and  weed  stalks,  then  more  of  the  same  material  is  used 
for  an  exterior  and  finer  grasses  for  a  lining  of  the  crib  which 
toward  the  end  of  the  month  contains  from  eight  to  fifteen 
yellowish  white  eggs  sprinkled  over  with  brownish  spots, 
chiefly  around  the  larger  end.  Let  no  other  bird  dare  show  its 
head  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  a  pair  of  nesting  coots. 
They  will  tolerate  no  neighbors  then,  gregarious  as  they  are  at 
other  seasons.  After  three  weeks  of  close  confinement  the 
mother  bird  leads  her  large  brood  to  water,  where  the  chicks 
swim  and  dive  almost  from  the  beginning,  although  keeping 
close  enough  to  their  patient  teacher  to  hide  under  her  wings  on 
the  first  shrill  alarm  cry  from  the  father,  ever  on  guard.  Hawks 
from  above  and  pickerel  and  turtles  from  below  find  no  fault,  as 
men  do,  with  the  flavor  of  young  coots.  But  soon  the  fledge- 
lings become  quite  independent,  leaving  the  parents  free  to 
devote  their  attention  to  another  brood.  Usually  the  flock  of 
migrating  coots  that  we  see  in  autumn  is  only  a  large  family 
party. 


188 


I 


i. 


SHORE  BIRDS 

Phalaropes 

Avocets 

Stilts 

Snipe 

Sandpipers 

Plovers 

Turnstone 

Oyster  Catcher 


189 


. 


SHORE  BIRDS 

PHALAROPES,  SNIPE,  SANDPIPERS,  PLOVERS, 
SURF  BIRDS,  ETC. 

(Order  Limicolce) 

Birds  of  the  open  field,  marshy  bogs  and  thickets,  or  shores 
close  by  the  water's  edge,  finding  their  food  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  in  the  mud,  or  among  the  shallows  of  the  beach, 
averaging  smaller  than  birds  of  any  other  group  included  in  this 
book,  they  usually  have  long  slender  legs  for  wading,  and  long 
slender  bills  for  probing  the  mud  after  food,  which  increase  their 
apparent  size.  Unlike  the  compressed  figures  of  rails  and  their 
allies,  the  bodies  of  these  birds  are  depressed  or  well  rounded ; 
their  wings  are  long  and  pointed;  their  tails,  which  are  short,  are 
very  full  feathered.  As  compared  with  the  large  footed  herons, 
rails,  and  gallinules,  these  birds  have  short  toes,  the  hinder  one 
very  short,  elevated,  or  absent;  but  certain  species  find  their  toes 
long  enough  to  tread  out  worms  and  small  shell  fish  from  the 
mud  flats,  and  some,  partly  webbed,  are  well  adapted  for  swim- 
ming. The  nests  of  birds  of  this  very  large  order  are  mere 
depressions  in  the  ground,  not  always  lined  with  grass,  and 
their  young,  fully  clothed  with  down  when  hatched,  are  able  to 
run  about  immediately. 

Phalaropes 

(Family  Pbalaropodidce) 

A  small,  select  family  of  three,  two  of  whose  species  keep 
so  far  out  at  sea  during  their  migrations  from  the  Arctic  regions 
to  the  south  that  we  rarely  see  them,  Wilson's  phalarope,  alone, 
being  anywhere  a  common  bird  in  the  United  States.  Strangely 
enough,  it  is  far  more  abundant  in  the  interior  than  on  the  coast 

191 


Shore  Birds 

The  bodies  of  these  small  sea  snipe,  as  they  are  often  called,  are 
depressed,  covered  with  thick  plumage  to  resist  water  that  they 
spend  much  time  upon,  for  their  feet  are  furnished  with  nar- 
row lobes  that  enable  them  to  swim  well.  They  are  smaller 
than  the  robin.  The  curious  characteristic  of  this  family  is 
that  it  contains  the  most  advanced  female  among  all  the  feath- 
ered tribes;  this  strong  minded  creature  wearing  the  gay  colors, 
doing  the  wooing,  and  gayly  disporting  herself,  while  the  male 
incubates  the  eggs  and  attends  to  nursery  drudgeries. 

Wilson's  Phalarope 

Northern  Phalarope 

Avocets  and  Stilts 

(Family  Recurvirostridce) 

Usually  one  sees  a  small  flock  of  these  waders,  very  long 
of  legs,  slender  and  depressed  of  body,  and  with  a  long,  sharp 
bill,  curved  upward  like  an  upholsterer's  needle  or  a  shoemaker's 
awl.  This  bill,  which  is  of  extreme  sensitiveness,  probes  the 
mud  in  the  shallows  where  the  birds  wade  about  for  food. 
Sometimes  called  wading  snipe,  they  swim,  when  necessary,  as 
easily  and  gracefully  as  they  walk.  Their  plumage  may  differ 
with  the  season,  but  the  sexes  and  young  are  alike. 

American  Avocet 

Black-necked  Stilt 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

(Family  Scolopacidce) 

Generally  the  sensitive  bill  is  long  and  straight,  often  several 
times  longer  than  the  head,  and  frequently  curved  slightly  up- 
ward or  downward.  With  this  tool  these  birds  probe  the  sand 
or  mud  for  food,  feeling  for  what  they  want,  and  using  the  bill 
also  as  a  forceps.  Often  the  upper  prong  may  be  bent  at  will  for 
hooking  the  earthworms  out.  Birds  of  this  numerous  family 
have  four  toes  instead  of  three ;  but,  in  most  instances,  the  struc- 
ture is  very  like  that  of  the  plovers.  Plumage,  which  is  plain 
colored,  varies  with  the  season,  but  little  with  the  sexes  or  with 
age.  Usually  the  female  is  the  larger.  These  birds  average 

192 


Shore  Birds 

small,  the  least  sandpiper  being  the  smallest  of  our  water  fowl. 
With  few  exceptions  they  keep  near  the  water's  edge  or  wherever 
the  ground  is  soft  enough  to  be  easily  probed,  whether  by  the 
sea  and  rivers  or  in  inland  bogs,  moist  meadows,  and  thickets. 
Exclusive  when  nesting,  but  not  often  solitary  at  other  seasons, 
they  are  generally  gregarious,  strongly  attached  to  their  compan- 
ions, and  migrate  in  large  flocks.  "  The  voice  is  a  mellow  pipe, 
a  sharp  bleat,  or  a  harsh  scream,  according  to  the  species," 
says  Dr.  Coues.  "Few  birds  surpass  the  snipe  in  sapid  quality 
of  flesh,  and  many  kinds  rank  high  in  the  estimation  of  the 
sportsman  and  epicure." 

Woodcock 

Wilson's  or  Jack  Snipe 

Dowitcher 

Long-billed  Dowitcher 

Stilt  Sandpiper 

Knot  or  Robin  Snipe 

Pectoral  Sandpiper 

White  Rumped  Sandpiper 

Baird's  Sandpiper 

Least  Sandpiper 

Red-backed  Sandpiper 

Semipalmated  Sandpiper 

Western  Semipalmated  Sandpiper 

Sanderling  or  Surf  Snipe 

Marbled  God  wit  or  Brown  Marlin 

Greater  Yellowlegs 

Yellowlegs 

Solitary  Sandpiper  or  Tatler 

Willet 

Bartramian  Sandpiper  or  Upland  "  Plover 

Buff-breasted  Sandpiper 

Spotted  Sandpiper 

Long-billed  Curlew 

Jack  Curlew 

Eskimo  Curlew  or  Doe  Bird 


193 


dhore  Birds 

Plovers 

( 'Family  Cbaradriidcz) 

Resembling  the  snipe  in  structure,  plovers  may  be  distin- 
guished by  their  moderate  or  small  size,  averaging  that  of  the 
thrush,  by  their  short  bills  (not  longer  and  generally  shorter  than 
the  head),  which  are  shaped  somewhat  like  a  pigeon's;  by  their 
three  toes — not  an  infallible  guide,  however,  since  our  black- 
breasted  species  and  two  others  have  four  toes; — in  having 
rounded  scales  on  the  tarsi;  by  their  plump  bodies,  short,  thick 
necks,  long  wings,  reaching  to  the  tip  of  the  tail  or  beyond,  and, 
in  some  instances,  by  spurs  on  the  wings.  In  habits,  too,  there 
is  a  similarity  to  the  preceding  group;  but  the  plovers  pick  their 
food,  which  is  largely  of  an  animal  nature,  from  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  instead  of  probing  for  it,  as  their  shorter  bills  indi- 
cate. They  also  more  frequently  visit  dry  fields  and  uplands. 
Rapid  runners  and  fliers,  mellow  whistlers,  gregarious,  except 
at  the  nesting  season,  and  not  shy,  plovers  are  among  the  best 
known  of  our  common  birds. 

Black-breasted  Plover  or  Beetle-head 

Golden  Plover 

Kildeer 

Semipalmated  or  Ring-necked  Plover 

Piping  Plover 

Belted  Piping  Plover 

Wilson's  Plover 

Surf  Birds  and  Turnstones 

(Family  Aphri^idce) 

One  member  only  of  this  maritime  family  of  four  species 
visits  the  outer  bars  and  beaches  of  our  sea  coast,  to  turn  over 
shells  and  pebbles  looking  for  the  small  animal  life  it  preys  upon. 
Its  head  and  bill  resemble  a  plover's;  its  wings  are  long  and 
sharply  pointed  for  sea  roaming. 

Turnstone  or  Calico-back 


194 


Shore  Birds 

Oyster  Catchers 

(Family  Hcematopodidce) 

The  brightly  colored  bill,  twice  as  long  as  the  head,  com- 
pressed like  a  knife  blade  toward  the  end,  is  the  chief  distin- 
guishing mark  of  birds  of  this  small  family.  This  tool  is  used  to 
pry  open  the  shells  of  mussels,  oysters,  clams,  and  other  shell- 
fish; hence  Dr.  Coues  suggests  oyster-opener  as  a  better  name 
for  these  birds,  since  oysters  don't  run  fast !  Rather  large  birds, 
dark  colored  and  white  in  masses;  the  plumage  of  the  sexes 
similar ;  the  legs  stout  and  rough ;  no  hind  toe ;  the  wings  long 
and  pointed  for  long  sea  flights. 

American  Oyster  Catcher 


PHALAROPES 

(Family  Phalaropodidce) 

Wilson's  Phalarope 

(Pbalaropus  tricolor) 

Called  also:   SEA  SNIPE;    SWIMMING    SANDPIPER;    LOBE- 
FOOTED  HOLOPODE;    SEA  GOOSE. 

Length — 8.25  to  9  inches.    Smaller  than  a  robin ;  female  the  larger. 

female:  In  summer — "Top  of  the  head  and  middle  of  the  back 
pearl  gray,  nape  white;  a  black  streak  passes  through  the 
eye  to  the  side  of  the  neck,  and,  changing  to  rufous  chest- 
nut, continues  down  the  sides  of  the  back  and  on  the  scap- 
ulars; neck  and  upper  breast  washed  with  pale,  brownish 
rufous ;  rest  of  the  under  parts  and  upper  tail  coverts,  white. 

Male:  In  summer — Upper  parts  fuscous  brown,  bordered  with 
grayish  brown ;  upper  tail  coverts,  nape,  and  a  line  over  the 
eye  white  or  whitish ;  sides  of  the  neck  and  breast  washed 
with  rufous ;  rest  of  the  under  parts  white. 

Adults:  In  winter — Upper  parts  gray,  margined  with  white; 
upper  tail  coverts  white ;  wings  fuscous,  their  coverts  mar- 
gined with  buffy;  under  parts  white." — (Chapman.) 

Range — Temperate  North  America,  most  abundant  in  the  inte- 
rior; nesting  from  northern  Illinois  and  Utah  northward,  and 
wintering  southward  to  Brazil  and  Patagonia. 

Season — Chiefly  a  migrant  in  the  United  States;  more  rarely  a 
summer  resident. 

Without  the  help  of  the  woman's  college,  club,  or  bicycle, 
the  female  phalarope  has  emancipated  herself  from  most  of 
the  bondages  of  her  sex,  showing  a  fine  scorn  for  its  con- 
ventional proprieties.  It  is  she  who,  wearing  the  handsome 
feathers  and  boasting  a  larger  size  than  the  male — although 
neither  bird  is  so  large  as  a  robin, — undertakes  to  woo  her 
coy  sweetheart  by  bold  advances.  Possibly  a  brazen  rival  adds 

596 


Phalaropes 

to  his  miseries.  The  at  first  reluctant  lover  may  run  away,  but, 
quickly  overtaken,  he  soon  falls  a  victim  to  the  wiles  of  the  most 
persistent  wooer,  to  continue  the  most  hen-pecked  of  mates 
ever  after. 

On  him  fall  all  the  domestic  drudgeries,  except  the  laying 
of  the  eggs — the  one  feminine  accomplishment  of  his  almost 
unsexed  boss.  He  chooses  the  site  for  their  nursery  in  a  tuft  of 
grass  in  a  wet  meadow  or  soft  earth,  usually  near  water;  and, 
having  scratched  a  slight  depression  in  the  soil  and  lined  it  with 
grass,  she  actually  condescends  to  lay  three  or  four  cream  colored 
eggs,  heavily  blotched  with  chocolate  brown,  about  the  first  of 
June.  Sometimes  a  second  and  smaller  set  of  eggs  is  found  late 
in  the  season.  Many  male  birds,  as  we  all  know,  relieve  their 
brooding  mates,  but  is  there  another  instance  where  the  male 
does  all  the  incubating,  while  the  female  enjoys  life  at  ease? 
What  must  a  totally  enslaved  mother  duck  think  of  such  eman- 
cipation ?  And  what  compassion  must  not  a  dandified,  care-free 
drake  feel  for  the  male  phalarope  confined  on  the  eggs  day  after 
day,  and  scarcely  permitted  twenty  minutes  for  refreshments  ? 

To  secure  their  food,  phalaropes  run  along  the  marshes  and 
beaches  exactly  like  sandpipers,  picking  up  snails  and  other  small 
animal  forms,  and  nodding  their  heads  as  they  go;  or  wading 
knee  deep  into  the  ponds,  thrust  them  below  the  shallow  water. 
"Swimming  Sandpipers"  they  certainly  are,  though  they  swim 
rarely,  never  for  long  at  a  time,  or  in  deep  water.  Every 
movement,  whether  afloat  or  ashore,  is  full  of  daintiness  and 
grace.  In  flight  they  sometimes  cover  short  distances  in  a  zig- 
zag, as  if  uncertain  of  their  direction;  but  once  launched  on  a 
long  migration,  they  fly  with  directness  and  power. 

The  Northern  Phalarope  (Phalaropus  lobatus),  a  very  small, 
slaty  gray,  chestnut  red,  buff  and  white  bird,  the  smallest  of  all 
the  swimmers,  passes  along  the  coasts  of  the  United  States,  from 
its  nesting  grounds  in  the  Arctic  regions,  to  winter  in  the  tropics. 
Great  flocks,  bedded  or  swimming  in  the  ocean,  are  often  met 
by  coastwise  steamers  in  spring  and  from  August  to  November. 


197 


AVOCETS  AND   STILTS 

{Family  Recurvirostridce) 

American  Avocet 

( ' Recurvirostra  americana) 

Called  also:    BLUESTOCKING;    WHITE  SNIPE;    SCOOPER. 

Length — 16  to  20  inches. 

Male  and  Female :  In  summer — White,  changing  into  cinnamon, 
on  neck  and  head;  shoulders  and  wings  brownish  black, 
except  the  middle  coverts,  the  tips  of  the  greater  ones,  and 
part  of  the  secondaries,  which  are  white.  Very  long,  ex- 
cessively slender  black  bill,  curved  upward.  Legs  very 
long  and  of  a  dull  blue.  In  winter:  Similar,  but  head  and 
neck  ashy  or  pearl  gray  like  the  tail. 

Range — Temperate  North  America,  nesting  from  Texas  north- 
ward to  Great  Slave  Lake,  and  wintering  in  Central  America 
and  the  West  Indies.  Rare  in  the  eastern  United  States. 
Irregularly  common  in  the  interior. 

Season — Summer  resident  or  spring  and  autumn  migrant. 

The  avocet,  like  the  skimmer,  the  sea  parrot,  and  the 
curlew,  possesses  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  bills  any  bird 
wears.  Slowly  swinging  it  from  side  to  side,  as  a  farmer 
moves  his  scythe,  the  eccentric  looking  bird  wades  about  in 
the  shallows,  feeling  on  the  bottom  for  food  that  cannot  be  seen 
through  the  muddy  water.  Often  the  entire  head  and  neck 
must  be  immersed  to  probe  the  mud  for  some  small  shell  fish 
and  worms  that  the  sensitive,  needle-like  bill  dislodges.  A 
leader  usually  directs  the  motions  of  a  small  flock  that  follows 
him  through  thick  and  thin,  mud  and  water;  or,  if  the  water 
suddenly  deepens,  off  swim  the  birds  until  their  feet  strike 
bottom  again,  and  the  mowing  motion  is  resumed,  while  the 
sickle  bills  feel  and  probe  and  jerk  as  the  mowers  move 
along  deliberately  and  gracefully.  The  curlew's  tool,  the  true 

198 


AMERICAN  AVOCET, 
Yz  Life-size. 


Avocets  and  Stilts 

sickle-bill,  oirves  downward,  just  the  reverse  of  the  avocet's; 
neither  is  it  used  under  water. 

The  avocet  is,  perhaps,  the  best  swimmer  among  the 
waders,  owing  to  its  webbed  toes.  The  thick,  waterproof 
plumage  of  its  under  parts  keeps  its  body  dry.  When  about  to 
alight  it  chooses  either  water  or  land,  indifferently ;  but  it  is  al- 
ways especially  abundant  in  or  about  the  alkaline  marshes  of  the 
interior.  Not  at  ail  shy  of  man,  it  pays  little  attention  to  him 
unless  positively  pestered,  when,  springing  into  the  air,  and 
trailing  its  long  legs  stiffly  behind  to  balance  its  outstretched 
neck,  it  flaps  leisurely  away  to  no  great  distance,  calling  back 
click,  click,  click,  a  sharp  and  plaintive  cry.  A  long  sail  on 
motionless  wings,  and  a  drift  downward,  brings  the  bird  to  the 
ground  again,  but  tottering  at  first,  as  if  it  took  time  to  regain 
its  equilibrium,  just  like  a  stilt.  On  alighting,  it  strikes  an  ex- 
quisite pose,  lifting  its  wings  till  they  meet  over  its  back,  like 
the  terns  and  plovers,  before  folding  them  away  under  the 
feathers  on  its  side. 

The  nest  is  a  mere  depression  in  the  ground,  in  a  tuft 
of  thick  grass  growing  in  some  marshy  place,  and  it  may 
be  lined  with  fine  grasses,  though  such  luxury  is  not  cus- 
tomary. Three  or  four  pale  olive  or  yellowish  clay  colored  eggs, 
thickly  spotted  with  chocolate  brown,  are  a  complement.  Near 
such  a  spot,  the  birds  become  clamorous  and  excitable,  the 
entire  colony  resenting  any  liberty  taken  by  an  intruder  carrying 
no  more  alarming  weapon  than  a  field  glass.  Still,  a  male 
avocet,  lost  in  rose  colored  day  dreams  as  he  paces  up  and  down 
near  his  nest,  like  the  willet,  on  sentinel  duty,  rarely  sees  any- 
thing that  is  not  directly  in  his  way. 

Black-necked  Stilt 

(Himantopus  mexicanus) 

Called  also:    LAWYER;    LONGSHANKS;    TILT;    TILDILLO; 
WHITE  SNIPE. 

Length — About  15  inches. 

Male  and  female — Mantle  over  back  and  wings  black,  also  line 
running  up  back  of  long  neck  and  spreading  over  top  and 
sides  of  head  below  the  eye.  Tail  grayish;  jest  of  plumage, 
C99 


Avocets  and  Stilts 

including  a  spot  above  and  below  the  eye,  white.  (Long 
black  wings,  folding  over  white  spots  on  lower  back,  rump, 
and  upper  tail  coverts,  make  the  entire  upper  parts  appear 
black.)  Immature  birds  more  brownish  above.  Long, 
straight,  slender,  black  bill.  Excessively  long  red  or  pink 
legs.  Beautiful  large  crimson  eyes. 

Range — Tropical  America,  nesting  northward  from  the  Gulf 
states,  "locally  and  rarely"  up  the  Mississippi;  rare  on  the 
Atlantic  coast,  though  specimens  have  been  taken  in  Maine 
and  some  reach  Long  Island  annually ;  most  abundant  in  the 
southwest. 

Season — Summer  resident  or  visitor.  Permanent  resident  in 
Gulf  states. 

To  a  query  put  to  an  Arkansas  farmer  as  to  why  this  bird 
should  be  called  the  lawyer,  immediately  came  another  query: 
"Ain't  you  ever  noticed  its  long  bill?" 

But  it  is  the  excessive  length  of  legs  that  attracts  the 
attention  of  all  except  punsters.  So  slender  and  stilt-like  are 
they,  so  teetering  and  trembling  is  the  bird  when  it  alights, 
that  one's  first  impulse  is  to  rush  forward  and  help  it  regain  its 
equilibrium  before  it  falls.  Why  must  the  stilt  always  go 
through  this  pretense  of  feebleness  when  we  know  it  is  a  strong 
steady  walker,  graceful  and  alert;  or,  does  it  actually  lose  its 
balance  on  alighting? 

Wading  about,  with  decided  and  measured  steps,  in  shallow 
pools,  preferably  among  the  salt  and  alkaline  marshes,  where  the 
avocets  often  keep  them  company,  the  stilts  pick  up,  from  first 
one  side,  then  the  other,  insects  and  larvae,  small  shell  fish, 
worms,  fish  fry,  etc.,  often  plunging  both  head  and  neck  under 
water  to  seize  some  deep  swimmer.  Long  as  their  legs  are, 
they  will  wade  up  to  their  breasts  to  secure  a  good  meal ;  but, 
having  no  webs  to  their  toes,  swimming  does  not  come  easy,  as 
it  does  to  avocets,  nor  is  it  often  tried. 

Strong  fliers,  owing  to  their  long  wings,  which,  when 
folded,  reach  beyond  the  tail,  the  longshanks  trail  their  stif- 
fened legs  behind  them  at  a  horizontal,  after  the  manner  of  their 
tribe,  and  continually  yelp  click,  click,  click,  as  the  flock  moves 
leisurely  overhead.  In  the  nesting  grounds  this  yelping  cry  is 
incessant,  however  far  the  intruder  keeps  from  the  olive  or 
clay  colored  eggs  or  the  young  chicks  that  run  about  as  soon 
as  hatched. 


SNIPE,  SANDPIPERS,  ETC. 

(Family  Scolopacida? ) 

Woodcock 

(Philomela  minor) 

Called  also:  BLIND,  WALL-EYED,  MUD,  BIG  HEADED, 
WOOD,  and  WHISTLING  SNIPE;  BOG-SUCKER; 
NIGHT  PECK;  BOG  BIRD;  TIMBER  DOODLE;  NIGHT 
"PARTRIDGE";  PEWEE. 

Length — 10  to  n  inches;  Female  n  to  12  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  varied  with  gray,  brown,  black, 
and  buff;  an  indistinct  black  line  on  front  of  head,  another 
running  from  bill  to  eye;  back  of  head  black  with  three  buff 
bars.  Under  parts  reddish  buff  brown.  Eyes  large  and 
placed  in  upper  corner  of  triangular  head.  Bill  long, 
straight,  stout.  Short,  thick  neck  and  compact,  rounded 
body;  wings  and  legs  short. 

Range — Eastern  North  America,  from  the  British  Provinces  to  the 
Gulf,  nesting  nearly  throughout  its  range;  winters  south  of 
Virginia  and  southern  Illinois. 

Season — Resident  all  but  the  coldest  months ;  a  few  winter. 

The  borings  of  the  woodcock  in  bogs,  wet  woodlands,  and 
fields — little  groups  of  clean  cut  holes  made  by  the  bird's  bill  in 
the  soft  earth — give  the  surest  clue  to  the  presence  of  this 
luscious  game  bird,  that  has  been  tracked  by  sportsmen  and 
pot  hunters  alike,  from  Labrador  to  the  Gulf,  by  means  of  these 
tell-tale  marks  until  the  day  cannot  be  far  distant  when  there 
will  be  no  woodcock  left  to  shoot.  Since  earthworms  are  the 
bird's  staple  diet,  these  must  be  probed  for  and  felt  after  through 
the  moist  earth.  Down  goes  the  woodcock's  bill,  sunk  to  the 
nostril;  the  upper  half,  being  flexible  at  the  tip,  draws  the  worm 
forth  as  one  might  raise  a  string  through  the  neck  of  a  jar  with 
one's  finger.  Curiously,  the  tip  of  the  upper  mandible  works 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

quite  independently  of  the  lower  one — a  fact  only  recently  dis- 
covered by  Mr.  Gurdon  Trumbull.  Owing  to  the  position  of  the 
eyes,  at  the  back  of  the  head,  food  must  be  felt  rather  than  seen; 
but,  so  sensitive  is  the  tip  of  the  bill,  and  so  far  out  of  sight  are 
the  worms,  in  any  case  the  eyes  serve  a  better  purpose  in  being 
placed  where  they  widen  the  bird's  vision  and  so  detect  an 
enemy  afar.  It  is  claimed  by  some  that,  like  the  owls,  woodcock 
see  best  at  night.  Worms  come  to  the  surface  after  dark,  which 
explains  this  and  many  other  birds'  nocturnal  habits. 

In  the  early  spring  any  one  who  takes  an  interest  in  the 
woodcock,  aside  from  its  flavor,  will  be  repaid  for  one's  tramp 
through  the  swale,  at  evening,  to  see  the  bird  go  through  a  series 
of  ae'rial  antics  and  attestations  of  affection  to  his  innamorata. 
Standing  with  his  bill  pointing  downward  and  his  body  inclined 
forward,  he  calls  out  pink,  pink,  as  much  as  to  say:  "Now 
look,  the  performance  is  about  to  begin";  then  suddenly  he 
springs  from  the  ground,  flies  around  and  around  in  circles,  his 
short  stiff  wings  whistling  as  he  goes,  higher,  higher,  faster, 
faster,  and  louder  and  louder,  as  he  sweeps  by  overhead  in  erratic 
circles,  each  overlapping  the  other,  until  the  end  of  the  spiral 
described  must  be.  fully  three  hundred  feet  from  the  ground. 
Now,  uttering  a  sharp  whistle,  down  he  comes,  pitching,  dart- 
ing, and  finally  alighting  very  near  the  spot  from  which  he  set 
out.  Pink,  pink,  he  again  calls,  to  make  sure  his  efforts  are 
not  lost  upon  the  object  of  his  affection,  and  before  he  can 
fairly  have  recovered  his  breath,  off  he  goes  on  another  series  of 
gyrations  accompanied  by  wing  music.  Or,  he  may  dance 
jigs  when  in  the  actual  presence  of  the  loved  one.  Cranes, 
plovers,  owls,  and  flickers,  among  others,  go  through  clownish 
performances  to  win  their  mates,  in  some  instances  the  females 
joining  in;  but  the  woodhen,  as  the  proper-nice  people  say, 
remains  coy  and  apparently  coldly  indifferent  to  the  madness 
of  her  lover.  He  will  sometimes  stand  motionless,  as  if  medi- 
tating on  some  new  method  of  winning  her,  his  head  drawn 
in,  his  bill  pressing  against  his  breast.  Then,  with  his  short 
tail  raised  and  outstretched  like  a  grouse's,  and  with  dropped 
wings  trailing  beside  him,  he  will  strut  about  with  a  high  step — 
a  comical  picture  of  dignity  and  importance. 

Little  time  need  be  taken  from  the  honeymoon  to  make  a 
nest.  This  consists  of  a  few  dry  leaves  on  the  ground  in  the 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

woods,  usually  near  a  stump,  where  the  four  buffy  eggs,  spotted 
over  with  reddish  brown,  are  laid,  often  before  the  snow  has 
melted,  in  April.  A  dry  place  being  chosen  for  the  nesting  site, 
it  sometimes  becomes  necessary  to  transport  the  funny  little 
fluffy,  long-billed  chicks  to  muddy  hunting  grounds,  and  the 
mother  has  been  detected  in  the  act  of  flying  with  one  of  her 
brood  held  between  her  thighs.  But  the  chicks  are  by  no  means 
helpless,  even  from  the  instant  they  leave  the  shell.  It  is  a  pretty 
sight  to  see  a  little  family  poking  about  at  twilight  for  larvae, 
worms,  and  small  insects,  among  the  decayed  leaves,  the  fallen 
logs,  and  the  ferns  and  skunk  cabbages.  Peep,  peep,  they  call, 
quite  like  barnyard  chicks. 

By  the  first  of  August  the  woodcocks,  deserting  the  low, 
wet  lands,  scatter  themselves  over  the  country  in  corn  fields, 
grassy  meadows,  birch  covered  hillsides,  "alder  runs,"  pine 
forests,  and  thick,  cool,  moist  undergrowth,  near  woods;  and 
now  they  moult.  No  whistling  of  wings  can  be  heard  as  the 
birds  heavily  labor  along  near  the  ground,  often  unable  to  raise 
their  denuded  bodies  higher.  In  September,  when  the  sportsmen 
make  sad  havoc  in  the  flocks,  already  gathering  for  migration, 
they  are  found  in  the  dense  thickets  of  wooded  uplands,  where  a 
stream  flows  to  keep  the  ground  soft;  and  in  October,  when  the 
birds  are  in  prime  condition,  the  spot  that  contained  scores  at 
evening  may  hold  none  by  morning.  The  russet  colored  birds 
mingle  with  the  russet  colored  leaves,  and,  as  they  lie  close,  it 
takes  a  good  dog  to  find  them.  The  woodcocks  migrate  silently 
by  night,  and  an  early  frost,  that  stiffens  the  ground,  drives  them 
off  suddenly  to  softer  territory  southward.  Hence  the  delightful 
element  of  uncertainty  enters  into  the  hunting  of  this  bird,  that 
is  here  to-day  and  gone  to-morrow.  When  flushed,  its  flight 
appears  to  be  feeble,  as,  after  a  few  whistles  of  its  short,  stiff 
wings,  and  trailing  its  legs  behind  it,  it  quickly  drops  into  cover 
again,  running  a  little  distance  on  alighting,  but  the  distances 
covered  in  migrations  prove  it  to  be  no  unskilled  flier. 


203 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

Wilson's  Snipe 

(Gallinago  delicata) 

Called  also:     "ENGLISH"   SNIPE;    COMMON   SNIPE;    JACK 
SNIPE;    AMERICAN  SNIPE;    SHAD   BIRD. 

Length — 10.  "50  to  1 1. 50  inches. 

Male  and  female — Upper  parts  varied  with  black,  brown,  and 
buff;  crown  dusky,  with  buff  stripe;  throat  white;  neck 
and  breast  buff,  streaked  with  dusky ;  underneath  white,  the 
sides  with  blackish  bars.  Outer  feather  of  wings  white; 
wings  brownish  black,  the  feathers  barred  with  reddish 
brown  and  margined  with  white.  Tail  bay  and  black, 
the  outer  feathers  barred  with  black  and  white;  the  inner 
ones  black,  marked  across  the  end  with  rufous  and  tipped 
with  soiled  white.  Bill  about  2.50  inches  long  and  resem- 
bling the  woodcock's. 

Range—  North  America  at  large,  from  Hudson  Bay  and  Alaska, 
south  in  winter  to  central  and  northern  South  America  and 
the  West  Indies.  Nests  in  far  north  chiefly,  rarely  in  the 
northern  United  States. 

When  the  first  shad  run  up  our  rivers  to  spawn,  and  the 
shad  bush  opens  its  feathery  white  blossoms  in  the  roadside 
thickets  in  March,  the  snipe  come  back  from  the  south  to  haunt 
the  open  wet  places  of  the  lowlands,  fresh  water  marshes, 
soaked  fields,  and  the  sheltered  sunny  spots  in  a  clearing  that 
are  the  first  to  thaw.  Only  in  exceptionally  dry  seasons  do  these 
birds  go  near  salt  water  marshes.  Generally  speaking,  snipe 
prefer  more  open  country  than  woodcock;  but  plenty  of  the 
former  have  been  flushed  in  bush-grown,  springy  woods — the 
woodcock's  paradise  when  the  lowlands  become  flooded.  The 
russet  colors  and  markings  of  these  birds,  that  so  perfectly  mimic 
their  surroundings  as  they  lie  close,  conceal  them  from  all  but 
the  sharpest  eyes.  We  may  know  of  their  arrival  by  the  clusters 
of  holes  in  the  mud;  for  both  snipe  and  woodcock  have  the  habit 
of  thrusting  their  bills  into  the  soft  ground  up  to  the  nostrils,  feel- 
ing for  worms  as  they  probe  with  the  sensitive  tip  whose  upper 
half  is  flexible  and  capable  of  hooking  the  earthworm  from  its 
hole.  As  the  snipe's  eyes  are  set  far  back  in  its  head,  it  must  be 
guided  only  by  the  sense  of  touch.  The  larvae  of  insects  and 
insects  themselves  are  found  by  overturning  old  leaves  and 

204 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

decayed  wood;  but  most  of  this  bird's  food  must  be  probed  for. 
Martin  Lulher  was  not  the  only  one  to  profit  by  a  Diet  of  Worms! 

While  comparatively  few  nests  are  built  in  the  United  States, 
most  of  the  love  making  is  done  here,  and  one  of  the  character- 
istic spring  sounds  in  districts  frequented  by  this  snipe  is  the 
/Eolian  whistling  of  its  wings  at  evening,  dawn,  or  by  moonlight, 
when  its  wooing  is  done  chiefly  in  mid  air.  Lighter  and  more 
trim  of  figure  than  a  woodcock,  Wilson's  snipe  is  a  better  flier, 
and,  rising  upward  by  erratic  yet  graceful  spirals,  it  attains  a 
height  we  can  only  guess  at  but  not  see  in  the  dusk ;  then  darting 
earthward,  music  thrums  and  whistles  in  its  wake  to  charm  the 
ear  of  the  listening  sweetheart.  It  makes  "at  each  descent  a 
low  yet  penetrating,  tremulous  sound,"  says  Brewster,  "which 
suggests  the  winnowing  of  a  domestic  pigeon's  wings,  or,  if 
heard  at  a  distance,  the  bleating  of  a  goat,  and  which  is  thought 
to  be  produced  by  the  rushing  of  the  air  through  the  wings  of  the 
snipe.  .  .  .  Besides  this 'drumming' or 'bleating,' as  it  is  called, 
the  snipe,  while  mating,  sometimes  make  another  peculiar  sound, 
a  kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kup,  evidently  vocal,  and  occasionally  accom- 
panying a  slow,  labored,  and  perfectly  direct  flight,  at  the  end  of 
which  the  bird  alights  on  a  tree  or  fence  post  a  few  minutes." 

The  flight  of  a  snipe,  almost  invariably  erratic,  zig-zag  one 
minute  and  maybe  strong  and  direct  the  next,  discourages  all  but 
the  most  expert  wing  shot.  Although  lying  close,  and  generally 
flushed  in  the  open,  no  tyro  is  quick  enough  at  covering  the 
swift,  tortuous  flier  to  bag  it.  Nervous,  excitable,  and  therefore 
particularly  difficult  to  hit,  poor  of  flesh  and  muscular  from  long 
travel  in  the  spring  migration,  nevertheless  there  are  in  many 
states  no  laws  to  prevent  the  killing  of  these  snipe  then;  and  the 
fact  that  eggs  are  already  formed  in  many  birds  brought  to  the 
kitchen  has  not  yet  moved  the  hearts  of  sportsmen  and  legis- 
lators to  action.  For  the  most  part,  these  snipe  go  north  of  the 
United  States  to  lay  three  or  four  clay-colored  or  olive  eggs, 
heavily  marked  and  scratched  with  chocolate,  in  a  depression  in 
the  ground. 

When  the  early  frosts  of  autumn  harden  the  soil  at  the  north, 
so  that  the  bill  can  no  longer  penetrate  it,  the  snipe,  migrating 
by  night,  again  visit  us,  this  time  fatter,  more  lazy,  or  at  any  rate 
less  nervous  than  they  were  during  the  mating  season.  Just  as 
a  wet  meadow  may  be  full  of  them  some  August  morning  before 

205 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

we  are  expecting  them,  so  in  September  the  sportsmen  go  to 
look  for  them  at  dawn  where  they  were  the  evening  before  in 
numbers,  to  find  that  they  have  silently  travelled  southward 
during  the  night.  There  is  always  the  charm  of  the  unexpected 
about  the  snipe's  appearance  or  disappearance.  Like  the  wood- 
cock, it  is  almost  nocturnal  in  habits,  because  earthworms 
come  to  the  surface  then.  Coming  out  from  under  cover, 
where  it  has  dozed  the  best  part  of  the  day,  to  feed  in 
the  open  at  twilight  of  morning  or  evening,  it  lies  close 
until  flushed,  when,  springing  upward  from  the  grass  almost  at 
the  sportsman's  feet,  as  if  shot  out  of  a  spring  trap,  and  startling 
the  novice  out  of  a  good  aim  by  its  hoarse,  rasping  scaip,  scaip, 
it  stands  a  good  chance  of  escaping,  thanks  to  its  swift  zig- 
zag course. 

Dowitcher 

( '  Macrorbamphus  griseus) 

Called  also:  RED-BREASTED  SNIPE  (summer);  QUAIL  SNIPE; 
BROWN  JACK;  GRAY  SNIPE  (winter);  DOWITCHEE; 
BROWN  BACK;  ROBIN  SNIPE;  DEUTSCHER  or  GER- 
MAN SNIPE. 

Length — 9.5010  10.50  inches. 

Male  and  Female:  In  summer — Upper  parts  black,  the  feathers 
edged  or  barred  with  rusty  red,  white,  and  buff;  tail  and 
rump  white  barred  with  dusky;  lower  part  of  back  white, 
conspicuous  in  flight;  under  parts  rusty  red,  paler  or  white 
below,  more  or  less  spotted  and  barred  with  dusky.  Bill, 
which  is  two  inches  long,  is  blackish  brown.  Legs  and  feet 
greenish  brown.  In  winter — General  plumage  brownish  or 
ashy  gray;  lower  back  white;  rump  and  tail  barred  with 
dusky  and  white;  lower  parts  white,  shading  into  gray 
on  breast. 

Range — Eastern  North  America,  nesting  within  the  Arctic  Circle 
and  wintering  from  Florida  to  the  West  Indies  and  Brazil. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant;  April,  May;  August  and 
September. 

Compact  flocks  of  gray  snipe,  as  they  are  called  after  the 
summer  moult  has  transformed  them,  migrating  southward 
along  the  sea  coast  in  August  and  September,  may  be  easily 

206 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

called  down  by  anyone  sufficiently  familiar  with  their  loud, 
quivering,  querulous  whistle  to  imitate  it.  Sportsmen  also  use 
decoys;  but  these  are  gentle,  sociable  birds,  among  the  last  to 
suspect  evil  or  to  take  alarm,  and  need  little  encouragement  to 
alight  beyond  the  supposed  entreaties  of  a  sister  flock.  They 
appear  to  be  never  in  a  hurry;  the  long  journey  to  and  from  their 
nesting  grounds  has  frequent  halting  places;  the  mellow  days  of 
early  autumn  find  them  free  from  care  and  ready  to  accept  every 
invitation  to  enjoy  life  to  the  full. 

Wheeling  about  as  the  imitation  of  their  call  reaches  them,  if 
they  are  not  perchance  flying  too  high  to  hear  it,  down  swings 
the  flock,  hovering  over  the  mud  flats  and  tracts  of  low  beach 
exposed  at  ebb  tide.  After  circling  about  and  seeing  none  of 
their  kin,  they  may  nevertheless  decide  to  stop  and  rest  awhile 
and  feed  in  so  promising  a  field.  Now  they  scatter,  but  never 
so  far  that  a  chattering  talk  may  not  be  kept  up  with  their  com- 
panions while  they  look  for  snails,  seeds  of  sedges,  insects,  small 
mollusks,  gravel,  and  bits  of  vegetable  matter  picked  off  the 
surface  or  from  the  shallow  pools  in  the  salt  marshes.  Some- 
times they  probe  the  soft  mud,  too,  for  some  tiny  marine  creature 
that  has  buried  itself  there;  but  not  commonly,  as  the  woodcock 
and  Wilson's  snipe  do.  A  sand  bar  will  often  be  so  crowded 
with  these  sociable  little  waders  that  the  sportsman  picks  off  a 
dozen  or  more  birds  at  a  single  shot;  and  so  innocent  are  they 
that  even  such  a  lesson  does  not  prevent  their  returning  to  the 
identical  spot  after  a  short  flight.  It  is  small  wonder  they  are 
favorites  with  shooters. 

Skimming  over  the  marshes,  swallow  fashion,  a  flock  darts 
about  in  an  erratic,  joyous  course — now  high  in  air  and  performing 
some  beautiful  evolutions,  now  close  above  the  sedges — their 
shrill,  quivering  whistle,  constantly  called  back  and  forth,  keeping 
the  neighborhood  lively.  The  note  can  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  the  whistle  of  the  yellowlegs  that  these  snipe  frequently 
associate  with  as  they  do  with  various  sandpipers.  When  on 
the  wing,  the.  white  spot  on  the  lower  back,  a  diagnostic  feature, 
is  conspicuous  enough  to  help  the  novice  name  the  bird. 

A  number  of  nests  or  depressions  in  the  moss  or  grasses  that 
answered  the  purpose,  have  been  found  near  lakes  and  marshes 
at  the  far  north  by  travellers  who  have  brought  back  to  our 
museums  clutches  of  four  drab  or  fawn  colored  eggs  spotted  and 

207 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

marked  with  sepia,  chiefly  around  the  larger  end.  These  birds  of 
many  names  are  not  found  in  Germany,  any  more  than  the  so 
called  English  snipe  is  found  in  England,  but  they  are  called 
German  snipe  or  Deutschers,  to  distinguish  them  from  that 
species,  dowitcher  being  simply  a  corruption  of  Deutscher  in  the 
mouths  of  longshoremen. 

The  Long-billed  or  Western  Dowitcher  ( '  Macrorhamphus 
scolopaceus),  the  representative  of  the  preceding  species  from  the 
Mississippi  Valley  westward  to  Alaska,  may  be  distinguished 
from  it  chiefly  by  its  slightly  larger  size  and  longer  bill  and 
possibly  by  its  more  uniformly  rusty  under  parts  and  the  heavier 
dusky  bars  on  its  sides  in  the  summer  plumage  only.  Very 
rarely  one  of  these  birds  is  taken  by  gunners  on  the  Atlantic 
coast.  In  habits  these  two  species  are  similar — even  their  eggs 
being  identical;  but  the  shrill  whistled  p'te-te-te,  p'te-te-te,  of  the 
gray  snipe  swells  into  a  musical  song,  something  like  peet-peet; 
pec-ter-wee-too;  wee-too;  twice  repeated,  according  to  Mr.  D.  G. 
Elliot,  in  the  case  of  the  long-billed  dowitcher.  For  years  even 
scientific  men  thought  these  two  species  were  one. 


Stilt  Sandpiper 
( Micropalama  bimantopuss 

Called  also:  LONG-LEGGED  SANDPIPER. 

Length — About  9  inches. 

Male  and  female :  In  Summer — Feathers  on  upper  parts  blackish, 
each  bordered  with  gray  or  buff  or  tawny,  the  markings 
scalloped  on  the  shoulders;  wings  darker ;  ears,  and  an  indis- 
tinct line  around  back  of  head,  rusty  red ;  lower  back  ashy ; 
upper  tail  coverts  white  with  dusky  bars;  tail  ashy,  the 
centre  and  edges  of  the  feathers  white.  Under  parts  white, 
streaked  and  barred  with  dusky.  Bill  nearly  as  long  as  a 
snipe's,  and  flattened  and  pitted  at  the  tip.  Legs  very  long. 
Both  bill  and  feet  greenish  black.  In  Winter :  Upper  parts 
brownish  or  ashy  gray,  the  feathers  edged  with  white;  a 
white  line  like  an  eyebrow;  upper  tail  coverts  white,  the 
tail  feathers  white  margined  with  brownish  ash ;  throat  and 
sides  streaked  with  gray;  under  parts  white. 
208 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

Range — Eastern  North  America,  nesting  within  the  Arctic  Circle, 
wintering  from  Florida  and  the  Gulf  States  to  Brazil  and  Peru! 
Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant,  May;  July  to  October. 

From  the  Arctic  Circle  to  Peru  is  surely  a  journey  to  warrant 
frequent  and  long  breaks;  but  only  rarely  do  we  hear  of  a  small, 
open  flock  of  these  tireless  travellers  resting  awhile  on  the  sand 
flats  of  our  coast  or  the  muddy  channels  of  the  rivers  inland  to 
fortify  themselves  with  a  square  meal  before  continuing  their 
rapid  flight.  Like  most  birds  that  spend  part  of  their  lives  at 
least  in  Arctic  desolation,  these  sandpipers,  not  knowing  man, 
have  little  fear  of  him,  being  of  the  same  gentle,  confiding  dispo- 
sition, apparently,  as  the  dowitchers,  with  which  they  may  some- 
times be  found,  lured  by  the  sportsman's  decoys.  Four  birds, 
watched  on  a  Long  Island  beach,  were  wading  about  in  a  pool 
left  by  the  receding  tide;  and  as  they  tipped  forward,  thrusting 
their  sensitive  bills  into  the  soft  sand  to  feel  after  food,  and  often 
immersing  their  heads  to  secure  a  worm  or  snail  buried  there, 
it  seemed  as  if  the  top-heavy  little  waders  must  upset  from 
their  long,  slender  props.  Yet  when  they  walked — for  they  do 
not  run  as  actively  as  true  sandpipers,  this  species  being  a  con- 
necting link  between  sandpipers  and  snipe — they  moved  grace- 
fully and  easily.  One  characteristic  they  have  that  reminds  one 
of  the  avocet  and  black-necked  stilt:  on  alighting  they  first 
teeter,  then  stand  motionless  as  if  to  steady  themselves  and  make 
sure  of  their  balance.  Colonel  Goss  tells  of  their  squatting  to 
avoid  detection,  flying  only  as  a  last  resort,  then  darting  swiftly 
away,  calling  a  sharp  tweet,  tweet. 


Knot 

(Tringa  canutus) 

Called  also:  ROBIN  SNIPE  OR  SANDPIPER;  RED-BREASTED 
SANDPIPER  (summer);  GRAY  SNIPE  (winter) ;  BEACH 
ROBIN;  ASH-COLORED  SANDPIPER;  GRAY  BACK. 

Length — 10.50  inches:  largest  of  the  sandpipers. 

Male  and  Female :  In  summer — Upper  parts  varied  black,  gray  and 
reddish ;  crown  gray  streaked  with  black ;  line  over  the  eye, 
chin,  throat,  and  underneath  cinnamon  red,  fading  to  white 
209 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

on  centre  of  abdomen;  rump,  upper  and  under  tail  coverts 
and  flanks  white,  barred  with  dusky;  tail  ashy  brown, 
bounded  by  dusky  brown  and  tipped  with  white.  Bill, 
legs,  and  feet  black.  In  winter — Top  of  head  and  back  of 
neck  brown,  streaked  with  soiled  white;  back  and  shoulders 
ashy  gray,  the  feathers  edged  with  a  lighter  shade  or  white ; 
under  parts  white,  the  neck  and  breast  spotted  and  barred 
with  gray. 

Range — Nearly  cosmopolitan ;  nesting  in  the  northern  half  of  the 
globe  and  migrating  to  the  southern  half  in  winter.  In  the 
United  States  more  common,  during  the  migrations,  along 
the  sea  coasts  than  in  the  Mississippi  valley  route  southward. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant;  May  and  June;  July  to 
November. 

Like  King  Canute,  this  beach  robin  that  Linnaeus  named  for 
him  seems  to  defy  the  waves,  as,  running  out  after  them,  it 
would  fain  bid  them  keep  back  until  it  has  had  its  fill  of  the 
small  shellfish  left  uncovered  on  the  sand;  but  more  quickly 
running  in  again  when  the  surf  combs  and  breaks  in  a  threaten- 
ing deluge.  Now  it  runs  nimbly  out  in  the  wake  of  the  receding 
waters,  apparently  intent  only  on  its  dinner,  but  all  the  while 
watching  out  of  the  corner  of  its  eye  an  incoming  wave,  whose 
march  and  volume  it  so  accurately  estimates.  It  is  amazing  how 
closely  and  yet  how  certainly  it  escapes  a  drenching:  the 
tumbling  surf  never  quite  overtakes  it  on  its  race  back,  though 
that  last  morsel  it  stopped  for  seemed  inevitably  fatal.  It  is  a 
fascinating,  though  a  nervous,  sort  of  occupation,  watching  the 
sandpipers  picking  up  their  hurriedly  interrupted  meals.  Dray- 
ton  gives  a  different  reason  for  fastening  Canute's  name  on  the 
knot,  than  the  one  popularly  supposed  to  be  the  right  one,  in 
his  lines: 

"  The  Knot  that  called  was  Canute's  bird  of  old, 
Of  that  great  king  of  Danes  his  name  that  still  doth  hold, 
His  appetite  to  please,  that  far  and  near  was  sought." 

Not  all  the  knot's  food  is  picked  off  the  surface:  the  worm, 
snail,  or  small  crustacean  that  has  buried  itself  in  the  soft  mud 
must  be  probed  for,  snipe  fashion. 

Gentle,  easily  decoyed  birds,  owing  to  their  fondness  for 
society,  usually  a  good  sized  bunch.,  if  any,  settles  down  on 
the  mud  flat  or  sandy  beach  after  a  preliminary  wheel  in  close 

210 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

array ;  hence  the  all  too  frequent  possibility  of  a  single  discharge 
killing  the  entire  company.  The  marvel  is  that  there  are  any 
knots  left  to  shoot.  Mr.  George  H.  Mackay,  in  The  Auk,  tells 
of  the  "fire  lighting"  method  of  capturing  them,  once  in  vogue, 
which  was  "for  two  men  to  start  out  after  dark  at  half  tide,  one 
of  them  to  carry  a  lighted  lantern,  the  other  to  reach  and  seize 
the  birds,  bite  their  necks,  and  put  them  in  a  bag  slung  over  the 
shoulder."  Sportsmen  put  a  stop  to  the  burning  of  marshes 
some  years  ago,  but  not  until  this  fine  game  bird,  with  many 
others,  had  become  rare.  The  same  authority  quoted  describes 
its  notes  as  "a  soft  wah-quoit,  and  a  little  honk."  In  Kansas, 
Ohio,  and  other  parts  of  the  interior,  where  there  is  no  surf  to 
chase  out  and  run  from,  one  meets  scattered  flocks  pattering 
about  on  the  muddy  shores  of  lakes  and  rivers,  quite  as  actively 
as  if  the  water  pursued  them.  Alighting  one  minute,  flying  off 
the  next,  resting  an  instant,  then  on  again  after  a  quick  little 
run,  the  knot  sometimes  acts  more  like  a  fugitive  from  justice 
than  an  inoffensive,  peaceful  lover  of  its  kind.  This  restlessness 
is  not  so  noticeable  in  the  autumn  migration,  perhaps,  when  the 
birds  are  fat  from  abundant  food,  as  in  the  spring,  when  they 
make  short  pauses  on  the  long  trip,  impatient  to  reach  their 
nesting  grounds  within  the  Arctic  Circle. 

It  was  General  Greely  who  first  made  known  the  eggs  and 
nest  of  these  birds.  "They  arrived  on  June  3,  1883,"  he  writes 
in  his  "Three  Years  of  Arctic  Service,"  "and  immediately  nested 
(near  Fort  Conger).  .  .  .  The  ground  color  (of  the  egg)  was  light 
pea-green,  closely  spotted  with  brown  in  small  specks  about  the 
size  of  the  head  of  an  ordinary  pin.  .  .  .  Fielden  has  described 
the  soaring  of  these  birds,  and  the  peculiar  whirring  noise 
they  make." 

The  Purple  Sandpiper,  Winter  or  Rock  Snipe  (Tringa 
maritima),  an  extremely  northern  species,  also  observed  by 
General  Greely  near  Thank  God  Harbor,  comes  down  our 
Atlantic  coast  between  November  and  March,  but  not  often 
farther  than  Long  Island  or  the  Great  Lakes.  Like  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers,  it  chooses  to  dwell  on  a  "stern  and  rock  bound  coast." 
It  is  wonderfully  sure-footed  in  running  over  the  slippery 
bowlders  dashed  by  the  spray,  picking  its  food  as  it  goes  from 
among  the  algae  attached  to  the  rocks.  It  is  nine  inches  long, 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

and  in  its  winter  plumage — the  only  dress  we  see — the  purplish 
gloss  on  the  black  feathers  of  its  back,  worn  in  summer,  is  not 
visible.  Instead,  it  is  a  uniform  lustrous  ash  on  its  head,  neck, 
breast,  and  sides.  The  back,  which  is  a  dingy  olive  brown,  has 
the  feathers  margined  with  ash.  The  wings  are  the  same  shade, 
but  the  coverts  and  some  of  the  long  feathers  are  distinctly  bor- 
dered with  white;  linings  of  the  wings  and  under  parts  are 
white;  the  upper  tail  coverts  and  middle  tail  feathers  are  black- 
ish; the  outer  feathers,  ashy. 


Pectoral  Sandpiper 

( Tringa  maculata) 

Called  also:  KRIEKER;  JACK,  GRASS,  COW,  and  MEADOW 
"SNIPE";  HAY  BIRD;  BROWN  BIRD;  SHORT  NECK. 

Length — 9.00  to  9.50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — The  blackish  brown  feathers  of  upper  parts 
heavily  bordered  with  buff;  the  lower  back  and  upper  tail 
coverts  black,  lightly  tipped  with  buff.  Tail  pointed;  the 
shorter  outer  feathers  brownish  gray,  edged  with  white. 
Eyebrow  white;  sides  of  head,  neck,  and  breast  white, 
streaked  with  brown  or  black;  rest  of  under  parts  white.  In 
winter  plumage  the  feathers  of  upper  parts  are  edged  with 
chestnut,  instead  of  buff,  and  the  breast  is  washed  with 
yellow. 

Range — The  whole  of  North  and  the  greater  part  of  South  Amer- 
ica; also  the  West  Indies.  Nests  in  the  Arctic  regions; 
winters  south  of  United  States. 

Season — Migratory  visitor,  April,  May,  and  from  July  to  November. 

To  all  except  inveterate  gunners  the  habits  of  this  little  game 
bird  become  most  interesting  after  it  has  gone  to  the  far  north, 
where  most  people  may  not  observe  them,  and  we  must  depend 
upon  Mr.  Nelson's  "Report  on  Natural  History  Collections  made 
in  Alaska"  for  our  information.  On  reaching  the  nesting 
grounds  a  male  becomes  intensely  excited  in  its  efforts  to  win  the 
attention  of  a  sweetheart.  It  may  "frequently  be  seen  running 
along  the  ground,  close  to  the  female,"  he  writes,  "its  enormous 
sac  inflated,  and  its  head  drawn  back  and  the  bill  pointing  direct- 
ly forward;  or,  filled  with  springtime  vigor,  the  bird  flits,  with 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

slow  but  energetic  wing-strokes,  close  to  the  ground,  its  head 
raised  high  over  the  shoulders,  and  the  tail  hanging  almost  di- 
rectly down.  As  it  thus  flies,  it  utters  a  succession  of  hollow, 
booming  notes,  which  have  a  strange  ventriloquial  quality.  At 
times  the  male  rises  twenty  or  thirty  yards  in  the  air,  and,  inflat- 
ing its  throat,  glides  down  to  the  ground  with  its  sac  hanging 
below.  Again  he  crosses  back  and  forth  in  front  of  the  female, 
puffing  his  breast  out,  bowing  from  side  to  side,  running  here 
and  there.  .  .  .  Whenever  he  pursues  his  love  making,  his  rather 
low  but  pervading  note  swells  and  dies  in  musical  cadences." 
These  liquid  notes  may  be  represented  by  a  repetition  of  the 
syllables  too-u,  too-u,  too-u.  Like  certain  members  of  the  grouse 
family,  the  skin  of  the  throat  and  breast  of  the  male  becomes 
very  loose  and  flabby,  like  a  dewlap,  during  the  mating  season, 
and  may  be  inflated  at  will  to  a  size  equalling  that  of  the  body. 
Eggs  brought  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution  from  tufts  of  grass 
in  meadows  at  the  delta  of  the  Yukon  are  greenish  drab,  spotted 
and  blotched  with  umber. 

When  flocks  of  these  sandpipers  come  down  from  Alaska 
and  Greenland  in  early  autumn,  we  see  them  less  commonly 
scattered  on  the  beaches,  where  one  naturally  looks  for  sand- 
pipers, and  usually  in  the  salt  marshes,  or  in  meadows  near 
water,  salt  or  fresh,  running  nimbly  among  the  grasses,  pattering 
about  in  the  pools,  pecking  at  insects,  snails,  and  other  tiny 
creatures  above  ground,  or  probing  the  soft  mud  or  sand  for 
such  as  have  buried  themselves  below.  Silent,  gentle,  almost 
tame,  friendly  with  their  allies  and  unsuspicious  of  foes,  they  lie 
well  to  a  dog,  squat  when  danger  comes  near,  and  only  when  it 
positively  threatens  fly  off  with  a  "squeaky,  grating  whistle." 
Because  they  fly  in  a  zig-zag,  erratic  course,  they  are  frequently 
called  snipe,  but  they  are  true  sandpipers,  nevertheless.  Decoys 
rarely  lure  them,  though  an  imitation  of  their  whistle  may. 
In  autumn  we  can  see  no  indication  of  the  extraordinary  pectoral 
sac  that  becomes  so  prominent  in  the  bird's  figure  in  June, 
and  that  is  responsible  for  the  most  characteristic  of  its  many 
popular  names. 

The  White-rumped,  Schinz's,  or  Bonaparte's  Sandpiper 
(Tringafuscicollis),  scarcely  over  seven  inches  long,  looks  like  a 
smaller  copy  of  the  preceding  species,  although  on  close  scrutiny 

213 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

we  note  that  its  central  tail  feathers  are  not  long  and  sharply 
pointed,  and  that  its  longer  upper  tail  coverts  are  white  instead  of 
blackish.  These  white  tail  coverts,  so  conspicuous  in  flight, 
help  to  define  the  bird  from  Baird's  Sandpiper,  that  has  dingy 
olive  brown  coverts;  but  we  must  depend  upon  the  white- 
rumped  bird's  larger  size,  chiefly,  to  tell  it  from  the  semipalmated 
sandpiper.  This  is  a  sociable  little  wader,  often  flocking  with 
its  cousins,  and  so  offering  frequent  opportunities  for  comparison 
of  these  often  confused  species.  In  winter  the  upper  parts  are 
plain  brownish  gray,  and  the  streaks  on  neck,  breast,  and  sides 
are  less  distinctly  streaked.  No  striking  peculiarities  of  habit 
distinguish  it :  it  is  a  peaceful,  gentle,  friendly,  active,  little  sprite, 
like  the  majority  of  its  kin ;  too  confiding,  often,  to  save  its  body 
from  the  ultimate  fate  of  the  gridiron  and  the  skewer.  Its  note 
is  a  piped  weet,  weet. 

Baird's  Sandpiper  (Tringa  bairdii),  far  more  common  in  the 
interior  than  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  closely  resembles  the  white- 
rumped  species  in  size  and  plumage,  and  may  be  distinguished 
xfrom  it  "by  the  fuscous  instead  of  white  middle  upper  tail-cov- 
erts," says  Mr.  Frank  Chapman.  "In  summer  it  differs  also  in 
the  absence  of  rufous  above,  the  less  heavily  spotted  throat,  and 
the  white  instead  of  spotted  sides.  In  winter  the  chief  distin- 
guishing marks  of  the  two  species,  aside  from  the  differently  col- 
ored upper  tail-coverts,  are  the  buffy  breast  and  generally 
paler  upper  parts  of  bairdii."  Colonel  Goss  says  these  sand- 
pipers are  more  inclined  to  wander  from  the  water's  edge 
than  the  white-rumped  species,  whose  habits  they  otherwise 
closely  resemble,  and  that  he  has  flushed  them  on  high  prairie 
lands  at  least  a  mile  from  the  water. 


214 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 


Least  Sandpiper 

(Iringa  minutilla) 

Called  also:  PEEP;    MEADOW   OX-EYE;   STINT;  WILSON'S 
STINT;  SANDPEEP 

Length— 6  inches.     Smallest  of  our  sandpipers. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  dingy  brown,  the 
feathers  edged  with  chestnut  or  buff;  the  lower  back  and 
upper  tail  coverts  plain  black,  like  the  central  tail  feathers; 
outer  tail  feathers  ashy  gray.  Line  over  eye,  throat,  sides,  and 
underneath  white,  more  buffy,  and  distinctly  streaked  with 
blackish  brown  on  neck  and  breast.  (Immature  birds  have 
not  these  distinct  streaks.)  In  winter:  General  appearance 
gray  and  white;  upper  parts  brownish  gray;  breast  white 
or  pale  gray ;  not  distinctly  streaked ;  other  parts  white.  Bill 
black ;  legs  greenish ;  toes  without  webs. 

Range — North  America  at  large;  nesting  in  the  Arctic  regions  and 
wintering  from  the  Gulf  states  to  South  America. 

Season — Transient  visitor;  May;  July  to  October. 

Flocks  of  these  mites  of  sandpipers,  often  travelling  with 
their  semipalmated  cousins,  whose  popular  names  are  indiscrimi- 
nately applied  to  them  also,  come  out  of  the  far  north  just  as 
early  as  the  young  are  able  to  make  the  long  journey.  Chicks 
that  in  June  leave  the  drab  or  yellowish  eggs  thickly  spotted 
with  chestnut  brown,  run  from  the  mossy  ground-nest  at  once; 
and  in  July,  when  family  parties  begin  to  congregate  in  Labrador, 
join  the  whirling  companies  of  adults  in  many  a  preliminary  wing 
drill  before  descending  to  the  States.  Innocent  of  evil,  confiding, 
sociable,  lively  little  peepers,  their  tiny  bodies  offering  less  than  a 
bite  to  a  hungry  man,  neither  their  faith  in  us  nor  their  pathetic 
smallness  protects  them  from  the  pot  hunters.  True  sportsmen 
scorn  to  touch  them.  A  single  pot  shot  may  and  usually  does 
kill  a  score  of  birds ;  yet,  so  ignorant  are  they  of  man  and  his 
inventions,  the  startling  report  of  a  gun  drives  them  upward  but 
a  few  yards  for  a  confused  whirl  en  masse  that  ends  on  the  ground 
where  it  began,  and  often  before  the  dead  and  wounded  victims 
can  be  picked  up.  Celia  Thaxter's  lines  on  the  little  sandpiper 
charmingly  describe  its  touching  confidence. 

215 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

Running  nimbly  along  the  mud  and  sand  flats  of  beaches; 
over  rocks  slippery  with  seaweed;  in  marshes  and  dry,  grassy 
inland  meadows  too;  or  dancing  just  in  advance  of  the  frothing 
ripples,  where  the  waves  break  high  on  the  sand,  graceful  and 
dainty  in  every  movement  they  make,  these  tiny  beach  birds  en- 
liven our  waste  places  until  November  storms  drive  them  south. 
Who  cannot  recall  a  walk  along  some  beach  made  memorable  by 
the  cheerful  companionship  of  these  gay  mites  running  and  flit- 
ting not  far  ahead  and  calling  back  peep,  peep,  in  response  to  one's 
whistle  ?  By  far  the  most  numerous  waders  that  visit  us,  one  can 
scarcely  fail  to  find  them,  if  not  in  scattered  companies  apart,  then 
in  flocks  of  their  numerous  relations.  Usually  they  are  busily, 
playfully  gathering  larvae,  insects,  worms,  and  tiny  shell  fish  that 
may  be  picked  off  the  surface  or  probed  for,  a  quiet  intruder  not 
in  the  least  interrupting  their  dinner.  Startle  them  and  they 
gather  into  a  mass,  whirling  about,  showing  their  backs  as  well 
as  their  under  parts,  and  with  much  shrill  peeping ;  but  their 
easily  restored  confidence  soon  returns,  and  they  again  alight  on 
the  good  feeding  ground,  though  it  may  not  be  a  rod  away. 

The  Semipalmated  (half  webbed)  Sandpiper,  or  Sand  Ox-eye, 
also  known  as  Peep  (Ereunetes  pusillus),  scarcely  more  than 
a  half  inch  longer  than  the  least  sandpiper,  and  so  like  it  in  plu- 
mage and  habit  it  may  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  it  in  a  flock 
where  these  two  cousins  mingle,  has  its  toes  half  webbed,  its 
diagnostic  feature.  Those  who  refuse  to  shoot  birds  in  order  to 
name  them  will  have  some  difficulty  here.  Possibly  this  sand- 
piper keeps  closer  to  the  water  than  its  little  double  that  is  often 
found  in  the  meadows.  Both  birds  are  so  frequently  seen  chasing 
out  after  the  waves,  to  pick  up  the  tiny  shell  fish,  worms,  etc., 
they  uncover,  and  more  rapidly  being  chased  in  by  them  as  the 
foam  curls  around  their  slender  legs,  that  it  is  impossible  to  think 
of  either  as  anything  but  beach  birds.  They  are  marvelously  ex- 
pert in  estimating  the  second  they  must  run  from  under  the  comb- 
ing wave  about  to  break  over  their  tiny  heads;  but  if  the  rushing 
waters  threaten  a  deluge,  up  they  fly,  flitting  just  above  the  foam- 
ing ripples  until  they  subside,  leaving  a  harvest  behind.  The 
semipalmated  sandpiper  swims  well  when  lifted  off  its  feet  by 
an  unexpected  breaker,  or  when  wounded  in  the  wing. 

216 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

The  Western  Semipalmated  Sandpiper  (Ereunetes  occident- 
alis),  the  representative  of  the  preceding  species  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, differs  from  it  in  having  the  plumage  of  its  upper  parts 
more  distinctly  chestnut  red,  the  breast  more  heavily  streaked,  and 
the  bill  a  trifle  longer;  but  neither  species  differs  perceptibly  in 
habits  from  the  least  sandpiper,  and  neither  one  is  larger  than  an 
English  sparrow. 


Red-backed  Sandpiper 

(Tringa  alpina  paciftca) 

Called  also.-  DUNLIN;  BLACK-BELLIED  SANDPIPER;  BLACK 
BREAST;  PURRE;  FALL  OR  WINTER  SNIPE;  LEAD- 
BACK;  BRANT  SNIPE;  STIB;  OX-BIRD 

Length — 8  to  9  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Chestnut  red  streaked  with  black 
above,  many  feathers  tipped  with  white;  lower  back  and 
upper  tail  coverts  blackish;  wing  coverts  and  tail  feathers 
brownish  gray;  breast  whitish  streaked  with  dusky;  under 
parts  white,  with  a  large  black  patch  in  the  middle.  (Summer 
dress  worn  early  and  late.)  In  winter :  Upper  parts  brown- 
ish or  ashy  gray;  under  parts  white  or  grayish,  sparingly 
streaked ;  the  sides  sometimes  spotted  with  black.  Bill  long, 
black,  and  curved  downward;  legs  and  feet  black.  Imma- 
ture birds  have  the  blackish  feathers  of  upper  parts  with 
rounded  tips  of  chestnut  or  buff;  the  breast  washed  with 
buff  and  indistinctly  streaked;  white  underneath,  spotted 
with  black. 

Range — North  America ;  nesting  in  the  Arctic  regions,  wintering 
from  Florida  southward.  A  few  remain  farther  north  in 
sheltered  marshes.  Rare  inland;  common  coastwise. 

Season — Transient  visitor;  April,  May;  August  to  October. 

Never  far  from  the  sand  bars  and  mud  flats  exposed  at  low 
tide,  or  the  salt  water  marshes  back  of  the  beaches,  flocks  of  these 
red-backed  sandpipers,  that  are  not  always  clad  in  their  winter 
feathers  when  they  come  to  spend  the  autumn  on  our  shores, 
pursue  the  daily  round  of  duties  and  pleasures  common  to  their 
tribe.  It  is  not  an  easy  matter,  even  to  one  well  up  in  field 

217 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

practice,  to  name  the  multitudinous  sandpipers  on  sight,  since 
their  plumage,  never  bold  or  striking,  often  differs  greatly  with 
age  and  season,  making  the  task  even  more  difficult  than  that  of 
correctly  naming  every  warbler.  But  the  long,  decurved  bill  of 
this  sandpiper  offers  the  surest  clue  to  its  identity  at  any  time. 

With  this  bill  the  sand  worms  are  dragged  forth  from  their 
holes  and  the  tiny  shell  fish  from  the  depths  in  which  they  have 
buried  themselves  at  low  tide.  It  appears  to  be  quite  as  sensitive 
in  feeling  after  food  as  a  snipe's.  Or  it  will  be  used  to  pick 
morsels  from  the  surface  and  to  seize  insects  on  the  wing  in  the 
salt  meadows.  Usually  these  sandpipers  keep  close  together  in 
their  feeding  grounds  and  during  flight,  offering  all  too  tempting 
a  chance  for  a  pot  shot.  Because  they  are  unsuspicious  from 
passing  so  much  of  their  lives  in  Arctic  desolation,  unmolested 
by  men,  dogs,  and  guns,  their  gentle  confidence  passes  for  stupid- 
ity here.  Is  it  through  stupidity  or  some  higher  trait  that  the 
survivors  of  a  flock,  just  raked  by  a  bayman,  return  immediately, 
after  a  hurried,  startled  whirl,  to  the  spot  where  their  companions 
lie  dead  or  wounded  and  helpless,  calling  forth  a  pity  in  them 
not  shared  by  the  man  behind  the  gun,  who,  with  another  dis- 
charge, rakes  the  survivors?  One  inveterate  old  reprobate  on 
Long  Island  proudly  exhibited  over  fifty  of  these  and  pectoral 
sandpipers  that  had  been  feeding  with  them,  as  victims  of  only 
three  shots. 

In  the  spring,  when  lively  impulses  move  all  birds  to  in- 
teresting performances,  these  dunlins,  as  our  English  cousins  call 
them,  go  through  some  beautiful  wing  manoeuvres  calculated  to 
inspire  admiration  in  the  speckled  breast  of  the  well  beloved. 
"  As  the  lover's  suit  approaches  its  end,"  to  cite  an  author  quoted 
by  Mr.  D.  G.  Elliot,  "the  handsome  suitor  becomes  exalted,  and 
in  his  moments  of  excitement  he  rises  fifteen  or  twenty  yards,  and 
hovering  on  tremulous  wings  over  the  object  of  his  passion,  pours 
forth  a  perfect  gush  of  music  until  he  glides  back  to  earth  ex- 
hausted, but  ready  to  repeat  the  effort  a  few  minutes  later. 
Murdoch  says  their  rolling  call  is  heard  all  over  the  tundra  every 
day  in  June,  and  reminds  one  of  the  notes  of  the  frogs  in  New 
England  in  spring."  Up  at  the  far  north,  where  the  love  making 
and  nesting  are  commenced  by  the  first  day  of  summer — for  the 
birds  make  a  very  short  stay  here  in  spring — the  males  utter  "a 
musical  trilling  note,  which  falls  upon  the  ear  like  the  mellow 

218 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

tricfde  of  large  drops  falling  rapidly  into  a  partly  filled  vessel." 
Three  of  four  precocious  chicks,  that  have  emerged  from  pale 
bluish  white  or  buff  shells  heavily  marked  with  chocolate,  run 
about  the  tundra  with  their  still  devoted  parents  in  June,  and  are 
able  to  fly  expertly  in  July,  when  the  first  migrants  reach  our 
shores. 


Sanderling- 

(Calidris  arenaria) 

Called  also:    SURF  SNIPE;    RUDDY  PLOVER;   BEACH  BIRD 

Length — 7  to  8  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  varied  blackish 
brown,  reddish  chestnut,  and  grayish  white,  most  feathers 
tipped  with  the  latter;  wing  coverts  ashy  brown,  broadly 
tipped  with  white,  making  a  bar  across  wings;  tail  brownish 
gray,  margined  with  white,  the  outer  feathers  nearly  white; 
throat  and  breast  washed  with  pale  cinnamon  and  spotted 
with  blackish;  other  under  parts,  immaculate  white.  Bill, 
about  as  long  as  head,  stout,  straight,  black ;  broader  at  the 
tip  than  at  its  slightly  concave  centre.  Feet  with  three 
toes  only;  no  hind  toe;  scales  of  tarsus  transverse.  In 
winter:  The  chestnut  in  upper  plumage  replaced  by  gray,  or 
mixed  with  brown  and  gray  in  the  spring;  under  parts  pure 
white.  Immature  birds  in  autumn  lack  the  chestnut  tint 
and  are  more  evenly  mottled;  brownish  ash  or  blackish  and 
white  above,  pure  white  below ;  rarely  with  a  spot  on  breast. 

Range — Nearly  cosmopolitan,  nesting  in  the  Arctic  regions  or 
near  them;  south  in  winter  as  far  as  Chile  and  Patagonia. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  visitor;  March  to  June;  September, 
October. 

Commonest  of  the  beach  birds  everywhere,  the  sanderlings 
— for  it  is  impossible  to  think  of  them  except  in  flocks — run 
about  like  a  company  of  busy  ants  on  our  coast  and  sometimes 
inland  too,  near  large  bodies  of  water  that  are  followed  in  the 
migrations.  Gleaning  from  the  sand  flats  with  an  eagerness 
suggesting  starvation,  their  heads  pushed  forward,  alert,  nimble- 
footed,  nervously  quick  in  -every  movement,  the  birds'  every 
energy  while  with  us  appears  to  be  concentrated  on  the  business 
of  picking  up  a  living  as  if  they  never  expected  to  see  food  again. 

219 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

Among  the  semipalmated,  the  least,  and  other  sandpipers  they 
often  hunt  with,  sanderlings  may  be  readily  picked  out  by  the 
attitude  of  the  head  and  their  fearful  eagerness.  Impressions  of 
their  three  toes  (a  plover  characteristic)  in  the  wet  sand,  at  low 
tide,  cover  a  good  feeding  ground  like  fret  work.  Chasing  out 
after  the  receding  breakers,  picking  up  the  minute  shell  fish,  ma- 
rine insects,  shrimps,  seeds  of  sedges,  etc.,  strewn  over  the  flats, 
the  active  little  troop  outstrips  the  frothing  waves  on  the  back- 
ward race  with  marvelous  agility.  Rarely,  indeed,  does  the 
curling  foam  reach  the  immaculate  white  under  plumage;  no 
combing  breaker  ever  drenches  the  sanderlings  unawares,  how- 
ever absorbing  their  dinner  appears  to  be;  yet  deep  water  has  no 
terrors  for  them.  Wading  is  a  frequent  diversion,  and  swimming 
becomes  the  safest  resort  for  wounded  birds. 

Bay  men,  who  habitually  carry  guns  and  shoot  at  every- 
thing wearing  feathers,  tell  you  that  sanderlings  are  wary  little 
creatures,  never  so  gentle  and  confiding  as  many  sandpipers  that 
may  be  raked  from  a  few  yards ;  but  possibly  if  these  men  car- 
ried only  field  glasses,  and  kept  up  a  reassuring  peet-meet  whistle 
as  they  slowly  approached  a  busy  flock — a  possibility  to  make 
a  longshoreman  smile — the  alleged  timidity  would  be  found  to 
disappear  and  the  birds  to  remain.  Startle  them,  and  rising  and 
moving  like  one  bird  toward  the  sea,  calling  shrilly  as  they  fly, 
on  they  go  along  the  coast  line  no  further  than  a  few  hundred 
yards,  their  bodies  turning  and  twisting  in  the  air,  their  under 
parts  glistening  where  the  sunlight  strikes  them.  Instantly,  on 
alighting,  the  flock  begins  to  feed  again.  Follow  these  birds  to 
Florida  in  winter,  and  one  finds  apparently  the  same  ones  still 
feeding.  Captain  Feilden,  the  naturalist  in  General  Greely's 
Arctic  expedition,  reported  sanderlings  in  flocks  of  knots  and 
turnstones,  and  a  nest  in  latitude  82°  33'  north.  It  was  on  a  gravel 
ridge  above  the  sea,  and  the  eggs  (three  or  four  light  olive  brown, 
finely  spotted  and  speckled  with  darker)  were  deposited  in  a 
slight  depression  among  ground  willow  plants,  the  lining  of  the 
nest  consisting  of  a  few  withered  leaves  and  dry  catkins. 


220 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 


Marbled  Godwit 

(Limosa  fedoa) 

Called  also:  MARL1N;  BROWN  MARLIN;  STRAIGHT-BILLED 
CURLEW;  RED  CURLEW;  GREAT  MARBLED  GOD- 
WIT;  DOE-BIRD 

Length — 16  to  22  inches;  largest  of  the  shore  birds  except  the 
long-billed  curlew. 

Male  and  female — General  impression  of  plumage  pale,  dull 
chestnut  red  barred  and  varied  with  black.-  Head  and  neck 
pale  buff  streaked  with  black;  entire  upper  parts  reddish 
buff,  irregularly  barred  with  black  or  dusky;  throat  white; 
rest  of  under  parts  pale  reddish  buff,  the  strongest  shade 
under  wings ;  wavy  dark  brown  lines  on  all  feathers  except 
on  centre  of  abdomen,  which  is  pale  buff.  Long  bill,  curving 
slightly  upward,  flesh  colored  at  base,  blackening  near  the 
tip;  long  legs,  ashy  black.  Female  larger.  Immature  birds 
are  similar,  but  lack  most  of  the  brown  lines  on  under  parts. 

Range — Temperate  North  America;  nesting  in  the  interior  chiefly 
from  the  upper  Mississippi  region  north  to  the  Saskatchewan; 
wintering  in  Cuba,  Central  and  South  America  ;  rare  on 
Atlantic  coast. 

Season — Chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  migrant  in  United  States; 
May;  August  to  November. 

Conspicuous  by  its  size  and  coloration  among  the  waders, 
the  great  marbled  godwit  might  be  confused  only  with  the  long- 
billed  curlew  at  a  distance  where  the  slight  curve  upward  of  the 
godwit's  bill  and  the  pronounced  downward  curve  of  the  cur- 
lew's could  not  be  noted.  It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  godwit  to 
give  anyone  a  near  view  of  either  plumage  or  bill.  The  most 
stealthy  intruder  on  its  domains — salt  or  fresh  water  shores, 
marshes,  and  prairie  lands — startles  it  to  wing;  its  loud,  whistled 
notes  sound  the  alarm  to  other  marlins  hidden  among  the  tall 
sedges,  and  the  entire  flock  flies  off  at  an  easy,  steady  pace,  not 
rapid,  yet  not  to  be  overtaken  afoot.  A  beautiful  posture,  common 
to  the  plovers,  curlews,  terns,  and  some  other  birds,  is  struck  just 
as  they  alight.  Raising  the  tips  of  the  wings  till  they  meet  high 
above  the  back,  the  marlins  suggest  the  favorite  attitude  of  angels 
shown  by  the  early  Italian  painters. 

Devoted  to  their  companions,  as  most  birds  of  this  order  are, 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

the  godwits  lose  all  shyness  and  caution  when  some  members 
of  the  flock  that  have  been  wounded  by  the  gunner,  cry  out  for 
help.  Unwilling  to  leave  the  place,  and  hovering  round  and  round 
the  spot  where  a  dead  or  dying  comrade  lies,  they  seem  to  forget 
their  fear  of  men  and  guns,  now  replaced  by  a  sympathy  that  risks 
life  itself.  Just  so  they  hover  about  a  nest  and  cry  out  sharply  in 
the  greatest  distress  when  it  is  approached,  until  one  feels  ashamed 
to  torment  them  by  taking  a  peep  at  the  four  clay  colored  eggs, 
spotted,  blotched,  and  scrawled  over  with  grayish  brown,  where 
they  lie  in  a  grass  lined  depression  of  the  ground.  The  nests 
are  by  no  means  always  near  water;  several  seen  in  Minnesota 
were  in  dry  prairie  land. 

The  marlin  feels  along  the  shore  somewhat  as  an  avocet 
does,  its  sensitive  bill  thrust  forward  almost  at  a  horizontal,  as 
touch  aids  sight  in  the  search  for  worms,  snails,  small  crustaceans, 
larvae,  and  such  food  as  may  be  picked  off  the  surface  or  probed 
for  as  the  bird  walks  along.  Suddenly  it  will  stop,  thrust  its  bill 
into  the  mud  or  sand  up  to  the  nostrils,  and,  snipe  fashion,  feel 
about  for  a  worm  that  has  buried  itself,  but  not  escaped.  Stand- 
ing on  one  long  leg,  the  other  somehow  concealed  under  the 
plumage,  the  neck  so  drawn  in  it  seems  to  be  missing  from  the 
marlin's  anatomy,  the  bill  held  at  a  horizontal — this  is  a  charac- 
teristic attitude  whether  the  bird  be  standing  knee  deep  in  the 
water,  or  among  the  prairie  grass. 

The  Hudsonian  Godwit,  Ring-tailed  Marlin,  White-rumped, 
Rose-breasted,  or  Red-breasted  Godwit  (Limosa  hcemastica), 
while  it  resembles  the  preceding  in  habits,  differs  from  it  in 
length,  which  is  about  fifteen  inches,  and  in  plumage,  which  is 
as  follows:  Upper  parts  black  or  dusky;  the  head  and  neck 
streaked  with  buff,  the  back  barred  or  mottled  with  it;  upper 
tail  coverts  white  (conspicuous  in  flight),  the  lateral  coverts  tipped 
or  barred  with  black ;  the  tail  black,  with  a  broad  white  base  and 
narrow  white  tip;  throat  buff  streaked  with  dusky;  the  under 
parts  chestnut  red  barred  with  black,  and  sometimes  tipped  with 
white.  This  bird,  not  so  rare  on  the  Atlantic  coast  as  its  relative, 
is  nevertheless  not  common  either  there  or  elsewhere  in  the 
United  States. 


222 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 


Greater  Yellowlegs 

(Totanus  melanoleucus) 

Called  also:  BIG  YELLOWLEG;  TELLTALE  OR  TELLTALE 
SNIPE;  LARGE  CU-CU;  YELPER;  TATTLER;  STONE 
SNIPE;  WINTER  YELLOWLEG;  YELLOW  SHANKS 

Length — 13  to  14  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  dark  ashy  speckled  with  white;  the 
head  and  neck  streaked;  the  back  and  wings  spotted;  space 
over  eye  and  the  throat  white;  tail  dusky,  with  numerous 
white  bars;  the  white  breast  heavily  spotted  with  black;  sides 
barred ;  underneath  plain  white.  (Winter  and  immature  birds 
have  the  upper  parts  more  ashy  or  gray,  and  almost  black 
in  summer,  and  the  markings  on  sides  and  breast  fade  in 
autumn.)  Bill  two  inches  long  or  over;  long,  slender,  yellow 
legs. 

Range — America  in  general,  nesting  from  Iowa  and  northern  Illi- 
nois northward,  and  wintering  from  the  Gulf  states  to  Pata- 
gonia. 

Season — Chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  visitor;  April,  May;  July  to 
November. 

A  "flute-like  whistle,  when,  wheu-wheu-wheu-wkeu,  wheu, 
wheu-wheu,"  familiar  music  to  the  sportsmen  in  the  marshes,  tells 
the  tale  of  the  yellowlegs'  whereabouts ;  and  a  responsive  whistle, 
calling  down  the  noisy,  sociable  birds  to  the  wooden  decoys  even 
from  a  greater  height  than  their  bodies  may  at  first  be  seen,  or 
bringing  them  running  from  the  muddy  feeding  grounds  to  their 
supposed  friends,  lures  them  close  enough  to  the  blind  for  a  pot 
shot.  Consternation  seizes  the  survivors;  they  fly  upward  and 
jostle  against  each  other;  they  dart  now  this  way,  now  that,  crying 
shrilly  as  they  blunder  upward  in  a  zigzag  course;  but  calming 
their  fears  as  the  whistle  from  behind  the  blind  reassures  and 
entreats,  down  wheel  the  confiding  innocents  again,  only  to  be 
stretched  beside  their  stiffening  companions  at  a  second  discharge 
of  the  gun.  So  this  alleged  sport  goes  gaily  on  through  the 
autumn,  although  no  one  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  at  least,  raves  over 
the  sedgy  flavor  of  the  stone  snipe's  flesh,  or  often  tries  to  give 
a  better  reason  for  bagging  the  birds  than  that  they  frighten  off 
the  ducks!  In  the  west  the  flesh  is  more  truly  desirable. 

223 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

Noisy,  hilarious  chatterers,  their  shrill  notes,  four  times  re- 
peated, coming  from  an  entire  flock  at  once,  after  the  manner  of 
old  squaws,  these  tattlers,  that  are  always  inviting  kindred  flocks 
to  join  theirs,  excite  other  birds  to  restless  habits  like  their  own, 
and  keep  themselves  well  advertised  in  the  marshes  and  about  the 
bays  and  estuaries  where  they  feed.  Yet  they  are  exceedingly 
vigilant  in  spite  of  their  noise,  and  are  the  first  to  pass  an  alarm. 
It  is  only  by  screening  oneself  behind  a  blind,  and  whistling  the 
birds  within  range  of  nothing  more  formidable  than  a  field  glass 
and  a  camera,  that  the  altruistic  bird  hunter  may  hope  to  study 
the  wary  fellows.  As  a  flock  whirls  about  in  wide,  easy  circles 
before  alighting,  they  appear  to  be  yellow  legged  white  birds. 
Before  actually  touching  the  ground  with  their  dangling  feet,  the 
wings  are  flapped,  then  raised  above  the  back  to  a  point  where 
they  meet — a  posture  suggesting  a  scorn  of  earth — then  they  are 
softly  folded  into  place.  As  the  bird  walks,  it  carries  itself  with 
a  stately  dignity,  yet  the  long  bill  turned  inquisitively  from  side  to 
side  detracts  not  a  little  from  the  general  impression  of  elegance. 
Wading  up  to  its  breast  in  shallow  waters,  or  running  nimbly 
over  the  sand  flats  and  muddy  beaches,  the  yellowleg  keeps  its 
bill  almost  constantly  employed  dragging  worms,  snails,  and 
small  shell  fish  from  their  holes,  probing  for  others,  and  picking 
up  tiny  crustaceans  swimming  along  the  surface  of  the  water  or 
crawling  over  the  beach. 

It  is  a  long  excursion  from  Labrador  to  the  Argentine  Re- 
public, yet  birds  hatched  at  the  end  of  June  at  the  north  reach 
South  America  in  October,  leaving  again  in  March,  and  so  enjoy 
perpetual  summer. 

Yellowlegs 

(  Tot  anus  flavipes) 

Called  also:  SUMMER  YELLOWLEGS;  LESSER  TELLTALE; 
TELLTALE  SNIPE;  YELPER;  LITTLE  CU-CU;  LESSER 
YELLOWSHINS;  LITTLE  STONE  SNIPE,  ETC 

Length— 10  to  12  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Coloration  precisely  as  in  the  greater  yellow- 
legs.     This  bird  is  to  be  distinguished  only  by  its  smaller 
size,  and  its  proportionately  longer  legs. 
224 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

Range — North  America  at  large,  nesting  from  the  northern  states 

to  the  Arctic  regions;   wintering  from  the  Gulf  states  to 

Patagonia. 
Season — Chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  visitor;    more  abundant  in 

autumn;    rarely  a  summer  resident;    April,   May;  July  to 

October. 

The  haunts,  habits,  and  noisy  voices  of  the  two  species  of 
yellowlegs  are  so  nearly  identical,  like  their  plumage,  that  a 
description  of  them  would  be  simply  a  repetition  of  the  larger 
bird's  biography.  From  the  fact  that  some  of  these  birds  nest 
within  the  United  States  limits,  they  have  been  called  summer  yel- 
lowlegs ;  but  the  great  majority  act  precisely  as  their  larger  double 
does,  and  so  have  earned  only  diminutives  of  its  popular  names. 
In  the  Mississippi  region  the  lesser  telltale  is  far  more  common 
than  in  the  east,  but  it  is  still  abundant  on  the  Atlantic  coast  in 
the  autumn  migrations,  at  least;  and  it  is  supposed  to  be  every- 
where a  commoner  bird  than  the  greater  yellowlegs.  Possibly 
this  smaller  tattler  responds  more  readily  to  the  whistling  down 
method  of  enticing  a  flock  to  decoys,  but  the  experiences  of  indi- 
vidual sportsmen  differ  greatly  in  this  as  in  most  matters. 


Solitary  Sandpiper 
(  Totanus  solitarius) 

Called  also:    GREEN    SANDPIPER;    SOLITARY,   or    WOOD 
TATTLER 

Length— %  to  9  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer :  Upper  parts  dingy  olive  with  a 
greenish  tinge,  streaked  on  the  head  and  neck,  and  finely 
spotted  on  the  back  with  white;  tail  regularly  barred  with 
black  and  white,  the  white  prevailing  on  the  outer  feathers; 
primaries  and  edge  of  wing  blackish;  underneath  white, 
shaded  with  dusky  and  streaked  on  sides  of  throat  and 
breast;  sides  and  wing  linings  regularly  barred  with  dusky. 
Long,  slender,  dark  bill ;  legs  dull  green,  turning  black  after 
death.  In  winter :  Similar,  but  upper  parts  more  grayish 
brown  and  the  markings  everywhere  less  distinct. 

Range — North  America,  nesting  occasionally  in  northern  United 
States,  but  more  commonly  northward,  and  migrating  south- 
ward in  winter  to  Argentine  Republic  and  Peru. 
225 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  visitor;  April,  May;  July  to  Novem- 
ber.    Rarely  a  summer  resident. 

A  lover  of  woods,  wet  meadows,  and  secluded  inland  ponds, 
in  the  lowlands  or  the  mountains  rather  than  the  salt  water 
marshes  and  sand  flats  of  the  coast  that  most  of  its  kin  delight  in, 
the  wood  tattler  is  a  shy  recluse,  but  not  a  hermit.  At  least  a 
pair  of  birds  are  usually  seen  together,  representatives  of  small 
tlocks  scattered  over  the  neighborhood,  but  generally  hidden  in 
the  underbrush.  As  compared  with  most  other  sandpipers  that 
move  in  compact  flocks  and  are  ever  inviting  other  waders  to 
join  them,  this  species  is  certainly  unsocial;  but  to  call  it  soli- 
tary implies  that  it  is  a  misanthrope  like  the  bittern,  which 
no  one  knew  better  than  Wilson,  who  named  it,  that  it  is  not. 
"It  is  not  a  morose  or  monkish  species,  shunning  its  kind," 
says  Mr.  D.  G.  Elliot,  "but  is  frequently  met  with  in  small  com- 
panies of  five  or  six  individuals  on  the  banks  of  some  quiet  pool 
in  a  secluded  grove,  peacefully  gleaning  a  meal  from  the  yielding 
soil  or  surface  of  the  placid  water.  As  they  move  with  a  sedate 
walk  about  their  chosen  retreat,  each  bows  gravely  to  the  other, 
as  though  expressing  a  hope  that  his  friend  is  enjoying  most 
excellent  health,  or  else  apologizing  for  intruding  upon  so  charm- 
ing a  retreat  and  such  select  company."  Dainty,  exquisite, 
graceful,  exceedingly  quick  in  their  movements,  their  chief  fault 
is  in  keeping  out  of  sight  so  much  of  the  time — the  characteristic 
that  preserves  their  delicate  flesh  from  overloading  game  bags. 
Penetrate  to  their  retreats,  and  they  prefer  running  into  the 
underbrush  rather  than  expose  their  neat  figures  and  speckled 
plumage  by  skimming  over  the  pond.  Sit  down  on  the  bank, 
and  perhaps  some  dapper  little  fellow  will  pay  no  attention  to 
your  motionless  figure  and  pursue  his  own  concerns.  He  will  run 
nimbly  along  the  margin  of  the  water,  snapping  at  insects  and 
caterpillars  here  and  there,  or,  rising  lightly  in  the  air,  seize  a 
small  dragonfly  on  the  wing.  He  may  go  lightly  over  the  lily- 
pads,  rail  fashion,  half  flitting  with  his  wings,  half  running  to  keep 
himself  from  sinking,  or  wade  up  to  his  breast  with  measured 
steps,  heron  fashion,  and  remain  fixed  there,  waiting  for  the  small 
coleoptera  to  skip  along  the  surface  within  range  of  his  bill.  This 
species  appears  to  eat  comparatively  few  snails,  worms,  and 
crustaceans,  and  a  preponderance  of  insect  fare.  Its  low,  musi- 

226 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  «tc. 

cal  whistle  is  rarely  heard  here,  but  the  South  Americans  see  the 
propriety  of  calling  this  bird  a  tattler. 

Although  the  solitary  sandpiper  is  known  to  make  its  nest 
in  the  United  States,  so  cleverly  does  it  conceal  it,  only  a 
single  clutch  of  eggs  has  ever  been  found,  so  far  as  known, 
the  one  taken  by  Richardson  near  Lake  Bombazine,  Vermont,  in 
May,  1878.  Dr.  Brewer  described  the  eggs  as  light  drab,  with 
small  rounded  brown  markings,  some  quite  dark,  nowhere  con- 
fluent, and  at  the  larger  end  a  few  faint  purplish  shell  marks. 


Willet 

(Sympbemia  semipalmata) 

Called  also:  SEMIPALMATED  TATTLER 

Length — About  16  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  streaked 
on  the  head  and  neck  with  black ;  the  back  barred  across  with 
black,  which  sometimes  give  the  prevailing  tone ;  a  large  white 
space  on  wings,  half  the  primaries  and  the  greater  part  of 
secondaries  being  white ;  upper  tail  coverts  white,  indistinctly 
barred  with  dusky;  central  tail  feathers  ashy,  indistinctly 
barred  with  dusky;  the  outer  feathers  almost  white,  and  mot- 
tled with  gray.  Under  parts  white;  the  fore  neck  heavily 
streaked ;  the  breast  and  sides  washed  with  buff  and  heavily 
barred  with  dusky;  wing  lining  sooty.  Bill  long  and  dark; 
legs  bluish  gray;  the  toes  partly  webbed  (semipalmate).  In 
winter:  Upper  parts  a  lighter  brownish  gray,  nearly  if  not 
altogether  unmarked;  the  tail  coverts  white;  below  white 
shaded  with  gray  on  throat,  breast,  and  sides;  axillars  black- 
ish. A  great  variety  of  intermediate  stages. 

Range — Eastern  temperate  North  America,  nesting  throughout  its 
United  States  range,  but  rarely  north  of  Long  Island  or  Illi- 
nois; resident  in  southern  states,  and  wintering  southward 
to  West  Indies  and  Brazil. 

Season — Summer  resident  or  spring  and  autumn  visitor;  May; 
August  and  September. 

Pill-will-willet,  pill-wtll-wttlet,  loudly  whistled  from  the  tide 
or  fresh  water  marshes,  leaves  no  doubt  in  the  sportsman's  mind  as 
to  what  bird  is  sounding  the  alarm  to  better  game  and  startling 
every  throat  and  wing  in  the  neighborhood  to  action.  Wary, 
restless,  noisy,  no  one  may  approach  this  large  tattler,  however 

227 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

well  protected  in  the  spring,  at  least  (as  every  bird  should  be),  un- 
der the  wing  of  the  law;  neither  will  it  come  to  a  decoy  easily, 
nor  permit  itself  to  be  whistled  down  to  the  stools,  unlike  the 
majority  of  its  too  confiding  kin.  But  however  distrustful  of 
man,  it  is  not  unsocial,  since  we  often  see  it  in  companies  of  other 
beach  birds  that  evidently  depend  upon  its  office  as  sentinel.  Morn- 
ing, noon,  and  night  its  voice  is  loudly  in  evidence,  until  one  tires 
of  hearing  its  persistent  whistle.  Within  a  stone's  throw  of  a 
summer  cottage  on  the  New  Jersey  coast, a  decidedly  wide-awake 
call  came  from  the  marsh  every  hour  between  sunset  and  sunrise. 

But  love,  the  magician,  works  wonders  with  this  noisy,  dis- 
trustful bird,  and  a  radical  if  temporary  change  comes  over  it 
during  the  nesting  season.  "They  cease  their  cries,"  says  Dr. 
Coues,  "grow  less  uneasy,  become  gentle,  if  still  suspicious,  and 
may  generally  be  seen  stalking  quietly  about  the  nest.  When 
willets  are  found  in  that  humor — absent  minded,  as  it  were,  ab- 
sorbed in  reflection  upon  their  engrossing  duties,  and  unlikely  to 
observe  anything  not  in  front  of  their  bill — it  is  pretty  good  evi- 
dence that  they  have  a  nest  hard  by.  During  incubation,  the  bird 
that  is  'off  duty  '  (both  birds  are  said  to  take  turns  at  this)  almost 
always  indulges  in  reveries,  doubtless  rose  tinted  .  .  .  and 
the  inquiring  ornithologist  could  desire  no  better  opportunity  to 
observe  every  motion  and  attitude." 

A  nest  in  the  Jersey  marsh  already  mentioned  was  nothing 
more  than  a  depression  in  a  dry  spot  of  ground,  containing  four 
pale  olive  brown  eggs  spotted  with  a  darker  shade  and  rich  pur- 
plish brown.  This  nest,  among  the  thick  sedges,  was  reached  by 
a  sort  of  tunnel  among  the  grasses,  entered  some  little  distance 
away  by  the  sitting  bird.  Neither  parent  had  forgotten  how  to 
get  scared  or  to  make  a  noise  the  day  that  nest  was  visited ;  nor 
did  other  birds  in  the  marsh  fail  to  loudly  protest  their  sympathy, 
not  to  say  alarm,  as  they  circled  overhead  in  a  state  of  painful  ex- 
citement. Reassured  that  no  harm  had  been  done  by  a  mere 
glance  at  the  speckled  treasures,  the  willets  wheeled  about  lower 
and  lower  over  the  sedges,  flashing  the  white  wing  mirrors  in  the 
sunlight  before  they  alighted,  and  with  wings  held  high  above  the 
back  until  they  met,  at  last  set  foot  to  earth  again,  bowing  their 
heads  like  reverent  archangels  as  they  struck  this  exquisite  posture. 
Musical,  liquid,  tender  notes,  evidently  a  love  song,  float  from 
the  throat  of  the  sentinel  lover,  walking  up  and  dowfi  in  absent- 

228 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

minded  happiness  not  many  paces  from  the  entrance  to  the  grassy 
tunnel.  None  of  the  willets  in  that  well  populated  marsh  were 
ever  caught  in  the  act  of  swimming,  though  the  partial  webbing 
of  their  feet  indicates  that  they  must  be  able  to  swim  well  when 
necessary.  A  western  representative  of  these  birds,  formerly  con- 
founded with  them,  nests  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  Mr.  Will- 
iam Brewster  discovered  that  it  is  a  slightly  larger  bird,  with  a 
more  slender,  long  bill,  of  paler  coloration,  and  with  less  distinct 
bars  and  other  marks. 


Bartramian   Sandpiper 

(Bartramia  longicauda) 

Called  also:  UPLAND,  or  FIELD,  or  GRASS,  or  HIGHLAND 
PLOVER;  BARTRAM'S  TATTLER;  PRAIRIE  PIGEON; 
PRAIRIE  SNIPE;  QUAILY 

Length — 1 1.50  to  12.75  inches;  usually  just  a  foot  long. 

Male  and  Female— -Upper  parts  blackish  varied  with  buff,  brown, 
and  gray ;  the  head  and  neck  black  streaked  with  buff,  and 
a  buff  stripe  through  the  eye;  the  back  and  the  wing  coverts 
dusky  barred  with  buff,  the  lighter  color  prevailing  on  the 
nape  and  wings;  outer  primary  olive  brown  barred  with 
white,  the  others  barred  with  black;  lower  back,  rump,  and 
central  tail  coverts  brownish  black;  tail  feathers  brownish 
gray,  the  outer  ones  varying  from  orange  brown  to  buff  or 
white,  all  more  or  less  barred  with  black,  with  a  broad  black 
band  across  the  end,  and  white  tips  of  increasing  breadth. 
Under  parts  white,  washed  with  buff  on  breast  and  sides, 
which  are  streaked  or  barred  with  black.  Bill  comparatively 
short,  yellow,  with  black  ridge  and  tip ;  feet  dull  yellow. 

Range — North  America,  chiefly  east  of  Rocky  mountains  and 
north  to  Nova  Scotia  and  Alaska;  nesting  nearly  throughout 
its  North  American  range;  wintering  southward  so  far  as 
Brazil  and  Peru. 

Season — Summer  resident  or  migrant;  April,  July,  August,  Sep- 
tember. 

It  is  in  high,  dry,  grassy  meadows,  among  the  stubble  in  old 
pastures,  in  rustling  corn  fields  and  on  the  open  plains,  and  not 
always  near  salt  water,  that  the  sportsman  looks  for  this  so  called 
wader,  more  precious  in  his  sight  than  any  other  small  game  bird 

229 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

except  possibly  the  woodcock,  Bob  White,  and  Jack  snipe.  Few 
birds  have  been  more  tirelessly  sought  after;  few  that  were  ever 
abundant  in  New  England  and  other  eastern  states  have  been  so 
nearly  exterminated  there  by  unchecked,  unintelligent,  wanton 
shooting.  It  is  to  Kansas,  Texas,  and  the  great  plains  watered 
by  the  Missouri  that  one  must  now  go  to  find  flocks  numbering 
even  fifty  birds,  whereas  our  grandfathers  once  saw  them  in 
flocks  of  thousands  on  the  Atlantic  slope.  Like  the  geese, 
ducks,  and  certain  other  birds  that  are  exceedingly  afraid  of  men 
and  impossible  to  stalk  afoot,  this  wary  "plover"  pays  no  atten- 
tion whatever  to  horses  and  cattle;  hence  shooting  from  a  wagon 
is  the  common  method  of  hunting  it  in  some  parts  of  the  west 
to-day;  and  an  unsuspicious  flock,  suddenly  startled  to  wing  only 
when  the  wheels  rumble  beside  it,  soon  fairly  rains  plover.  Shot 
easily  penetrates  the  delicate  tender  flesh  unprotected  by  a  dense 
armor  of  feathers  such  as  generally  saves  a  goose  under  similar 
circumstances. 

Delicious  as  a  broiled  plover  is,  there  is  no  true  sportsman 
who  will  hesitate  to  admit  that  the  graceful,  slender,  beautifully 
marked,  sweet  voiced  bird  is  vastly  more  enjoyable  in  life. 
A  loud,  clear,  mellow,  rippling  whistle  that  softly  penetrates  to 
surprising  distances,  like  the  human  voice  in  a  whispering  gallery, 
has  an  almost  ventriloqual  quality,  and  one  never  knows  whether 
to  look  toward  the  clouds  or  among  the  stubble  at  one's  feet  for 
the  musician.  For  liquid  purity  of  tone  can  another  bird  note  match 
this  triplet  ?  At  the  nesting  season,  especially,  a  long,  loud,  weird 
cry,  like  the  whistling  of  the  wind,  chr-r-r-r-r-e-e-e-e-e-oo-oo- 
oo-oo,  as  Mr.  Langille  writes  it,  may  be  heard  even  at  night;  the 
mournful  sound  is  usually  uttered  just  after  the  bird  has  alighted 
on  the  ground,  fence,  or  tree,  and  at  the  moment  when  its  wings 
are  lifted,  till  they  meet  above  its  back.  Everyone  who  has  ever 
heard  this  cry  counts  it  among  the  most  remarkable  sounds  in  all 
nature.  The  spirited  alarm  call,  quip-ip-ip,  quip,  ip,  ip,  rapidly 
uttered  when  the  bird  is  flushed  in  its  feeding  grounds,  and 
still  another  sound,  a  discordant  scream  quickly  repeated,  that 
comes  chiefly  from  disturbed  nesting  birds,  complete  the  list  of 
this  tattler's  varied  vocal  accomplishments. 

If  this  upland  plover  realized  how  perfectly  the  plumage  on 
its  back  imitates  the  dried  grass,  it  might  safely  remain  motion- 
less and  trust  to  the  faultless  mimicry  of  nature  to  conceal  it. 

230 


- 


BARTRAMIAN  SANDPIPER. 
%  Life-size. 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

As  you  look  down  from  your  saddle  into  a  dry  field,  the  sharpest 
eye  often  fails  to  see  these  birds  squatting  there  until  something 
(but  not  the  horse)  frightens  them  and  a  good  sized  flock  sur- 
prises you  when  it  takes  wing.  Three  or  four  sharply  whistled 
notes  ring  in  your  very  ears  as  the  plovers  mount.  The  swift 
flight  is  well  sustained.  Mere  specks  seem  to  float  across  the 
heavens,  and  were  it  not  for  the  soft,  clear  rippling  whistle  that 
descends  from  the  clouds,  who  would  imagine  that  these  birds  so 
commonly  seen  on  the  ground  would  penetrate  to  such  a  height 
above  it  ?  In  the  migrations  along  the  coast  and  inland,  serried 
ranks,  flying  high,  cover  immense  distances  daily.  The  pampas  of 
the  Argentine  Republic  hold  flocks  that  have  gathered  on  our  own 
great  plains,  who  shall  say  how  soon  after  the  journey  was  begun  ? 
On  alighting,  with  their  wings  stretched  high  above  their 
backs  in  plover  fashion,  these  true  sandpipers  remain  perfectly 
still  for  a  minute,  turning  their  slender  necks  now  this  way,  now 
that,  to  reconnoitre,  before  they  gracefully  walk  or  run  off  to 
feed,  bobbing  their  heads  as  if  satisfied  with  the  prospect  as  they 
go.  They  must  devour  grasshoppers  by  the  million — another 
reason  why  they  should  be  protected.  In  the  nesting  season,  at 
least,  the  mates  keep  close  together  when  feeding  on  berries  and 
insects,  that,  however  largely  consumed,  fail  to  fatten  their  slender 
bodies  now.  Anxiety,  common  to  all  true  lovers  and  devoted 
parents,  keeps  them  thin.  A  few  blades  of  dry  grass  line  the 
merest  depression  of  the  ground  in  some  old  field  or  open  prairie 
that  answers  as  a  cradle  for  the  four  clay  colored  eggs  spotted 
over  with  dark  brown  and  clouded  with  purplish  gray  shell 
marks.  Funny,  top-heavy,  fluffy  little  chicks  tumble  clumsily 
about  through  the  grass  in  June. 

The  Buff-breasted  Sandpiper  (Tryngites  subruficollis)  closely 
allied  to  the  larger  upland  "plover,"  like  it  prefers  dry  fields  and 
grassy  prairie  lands,  although  during  the  migrations  it  too  is  often 
met  with  on  beaches  on  the  coasts  of  both  oceans.  Its  upper 
parts  are  pale  clay  buff,  the  centre  of  each  feather  black  or  dark 
olive ;  the  inner  half  of  the  inner  webs  of  the  dusky  primaries  is 
speckled  with  black,  a  diagnostic  feature ;  the  longer  inner  wing 
coverts  are  conspicuously  marked  and  tipped  with  black  edged 
with  white ;  the  feathers  of  under  parts  are  pale  buff  edged  with 
white  and  indistinctly  marked.  A  few  of  these  migrants  rest 

231 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

awhile  on  the  south  shore  of  Long  Island  in  the  early  autumn 
yearly.  "They  are  an  extremely  active  species  when  on  the 
wing,"  writes  Dr.  Hatch,  who  studied  them  in  Minnesota,  "and 
essentially  ploverine  in  all  respects,  seeking  sandy,  barren  prairies 
where  they  live  upon  grasshoppers,  crickets,  and  insects  gener- 
ally, and  ants  and  their  eggs  especially.  I  have  found  them 
repasting  upon  minute  mollusks  on  the  sandy  shores  of  small 
and  shallow  ponds,  where  they  were  apparently  little  more  sus- 
picious than  the  solitary  sandpipers  are  notably.  The  flight  is  in 
rather  compact  form,  dipping  and  rising  alternately,  and  with  a 
disposition  to  return  again  to  the  neighborhood  of  their  former 
feeding  places."  "  During  the  breeding  season,"  says  Mr.  D.  G. 
Elliot,  "they  indulge  in  curious  movements,  one  of  which  is  to 
walk  about  with  one  wing  stretched  out  to  its  fullest  extent  and 
held  high  in  the  air.  Two  will  spar  like  fighting-cocks,  then 
tower  for  about  thirty  feet  with  hanging  legs.  Sometimes  one 
will  stretch  himself  to  his  full  height,  spread  his  wings  forward 
and  puff  out  his  throat,  at  the  same  time  making  a  clucking 
noise,  while  others  stand  around  and  admire  him." 


Spotted  Sandpiper 

(Actitis  macularia) 

Called  also:  TEETER;  TILT-UP;  SAND  LARK;  PEET-WEET; 
TEETER-TAIL 

Length— -7. 50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  an  olive  ashen  color,  iridescent, 
and  spotted  and  streaked  with  black;  line  over  eye  and 
under  parts  white,  the  latter  plentifully  spotted  with  round 
black  dots  large  and  small,  but  larger  and  closer  on  the  male 
than  on  the  female,  the  smallest  marks  on  throat;  inner  tail 
feathers  like  the  back,  the  outer  ones  with  blackish  bars; 
secondaries  and  their  coverts  broadly  tipped  with  white; 
some  white  feathers  at  bend  of  wing;  white  wing  lining 
with  dusky  bar;  other  white  feathers  concealed  in  folded 
wing,  but  conspicuous  in  flight.  Bill  flesh  colored  or  partly 
yellow,  black  tipped.  Winter  birds  are  duller  and  browner 
and  without  bars  on  upper  parts. 

Range — North  America  to  Hudson  Bay,  nesting  throughout  its 
range;  winters  in  southern  states  and  southward  to  Brazil. 

Season — Summer  resident ;  April  to  September  or  October. 

232 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

The  familiar  little  spotted  sandpiper  of  ditches  and  pools, 
roadside  and  woodland  streams,  river  shores,  creeks,  swamps, 
and  wet  meadows — of  the  sea  beaches,  too,  during  the  migrations, 
at  least — quite  as  frequently  goes  to  dry  uplands,  wooded  slopes, 
and  mountains  so  high  as  the  timber  line,  as  if  undecided  whether 
to  be  a  shore  or  a  land  bird,  a  wader  or  a  songster.  Charming 
to  the  eye  and  ear  alike,  what  possible  attraction  can  a  half  dozen 
of  these  pathetically  small  bodies  roasted  and  served  on  a  skewer 
have  to  a  hungry  man  when  beefsteak  is  twenty  cents  a  pound  ? 
A  thrush  is  larger  and  scarcely  more  tuneful,  yet  numbers  of 
these  little  sandpipers  are  shot  annually. 

Some  quaint  and  ridiculous  mannerisms,  recorded  in  a  large 
list  of  popular  names,  make  this  a  particularly  interesting  bird  to 
watch.  Alighting  after  a  short,  low  flight,  it  first  stands  still,  like 
a  willet,  to  look  about;  then  making  a  deep  bow  to  the  spectator, 
you  might  feel  complimented  by  the  obeisance,  did  not  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  rear  extremity  turned  toward  you  the  next  minute 
imply  a  withering  contempt.  Bowing  first  toward  you,  then 
from  you,  the  teeter  deliberately  sea-saws  east,  west,  north,  south. 
This  absurd  performance,  frequently  and  ever  solemnly  indulged 
in,  interrupts  many  a  meal  and  run  along  the  beach.  A  sudden 
jerking  up  or  jetting  of  the  tail  as  the  bird  walks,  like  the  solitary 
sandpiper,  gives  it  a  most  curious  gait,  all  the  more  amusing  be- 
cause the  bird  is  so  small  and  evidently  so  self-satisfied.  One 
rarely  sees  more  than  a  pair  of  these  sandpipers  in  a  neighbor- 
hood which  they  somehow  preempt,  except  at  the  migrations, 
when  families  travel  together;  but  as  two  broods  are  generally 
raised  in  a  summer,  these  family  parties  are  no  mean  sized  flock. 
Startle  a  "teeter  snipe,"  and  with  a  sharp,  sweet  peet-iveet,  weet- 
weet,  it  flies  off  swiftly  on  a  curve,  in  a  steady,  low  course,  but 
with  none  of  the  erratic  zig-zags  characteristic  of  a  true  snipe's 
motions,  and  soon  alights  not  far  from  where  it  set  out.  A  fence 
rail,  a  tree,  or  even  the  roofs  of  outbuildings  on  the  farm  have 
been  chosen  as  resting  places.  The  peet-weets  skim  above  the 
waving  grain  inland,  their  pendant,  pointed  wings  beating 
steadily,  and  follow  the  same  graceful  curves  that  mark  their 
course  above  the  sea. 

In  the  nesting  season,  which  practically  extends  all  through 
the  summer,  this  is  a  sand  "lark"  indeed.  Soaring  upward, 
singing  as  he  goes,  in  that  angelic  manner  of  the  true  lark  of  Eng- 

233 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

land,  the  male  pours  out  his  happiness  in  low,  sweet  peet-weets 
trilled  rapidly  and  prolonged  into  a  song; — cheerful,  even  ecstatic 
notes,  without  a  trace  of  the  plaintive  tone  heard  at  other 
times.  A  good  deal  of  music  passes  back  and  forth  from  these 
birds  a-wing.  Fluffy  little  chicks  run  from  the  creamy  buff 
shells  thickly  spotted  and  speckled  with  brown,  as  soon  as 
hatched.  The  nest,  or  a  depression  in  the  ground,  lined  with  dry 
grass,  that  answers  every  purpose,  may  be  in  a  meadow  or 
orchard,  but  rarely  far  from  water  that  attracts  worms,  snails,  and 
insects  for  the  little  family  to  feed  on.  This  is  the  one  sandpiper 
that  we  may  confidently  expect  to  meet  throughout  the  summer. 


Long-billed  Curlew 

(Numenius  longirostris) 

Called  also:  SICKLE-BILL;  SABRE-BILL;  SPANISH  CURLEW; 
BUZZARD  CURLEW 

Length — 24  inches ;  bill  of  extreme  length,  about  6  inches,  some- 
times 8  inches. 

Male  and  Female—  Upper  parts  buff  or  pale  rufous  and  black ; 
the  head  and  neck  streaked;  the  back,  wings,  and  tail  barred 
or  mottled  with  cinnamon,  buff,  and  blackish ;  under  parts 
buff;  the  breast  streaked,  and  the  sides  often  barred  with 
black.  Long,  black  bill,  curved  downward  like  a  sickle; 
long  legs  and  feet,  dark. 

Range — Temperate  North  America;  nesting  in  the  south  Atlantic 
states  and  in  the  interior  so  far  as  Hudson  Bay,  or  mostly 
throughout  its  range ;  winters  from  Florida  and  Texas  to  the 
West  Indies  and  Guatemala. 

Season — Summer  resident  in  the  interior;  an  irregular  summer  vis- 
itor on  Atlantic  coast  north  of  the  Carolinas ;  migratory  north- 
ward to  the  prairies  of  the  great  northwest. 

The  extraordinary  bill  of  the  curlew,  curving  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  the  avocet's,  serves  the  same  purpose,  however, 
and  drags  small  crabs  and  other  shell  fish  that  have  buried  them- 
selves in  the  wet  sand,  snails,  larvae,  and  worms  from  their  holes, 
the  blades  acting  like  a  forceps.  Beetles,  grasshoppers,  and  flying 
food  seized  on  the  prairies;  berries,  and  particularly  dewberries, 
complete  the  curlew's  menu.  The  entire  bill  so  far  as  the  nos- 

234 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

trils,  notwithstanding  its  extreme  length,  often  sinks  through  the 
soft  sand  or  mud  to  probe  for  some  coveted  dainty.  The  curlew, 
the  avocet,  the  sea  parrot,  and  the  skimmer  vie  with  each  other 
in' possessing  the  queerest  freak  of  a  bill. 

Large  flocks  of  curlews,  flying  in  wedge-shaped  battalions, 
like  geese,  with  some  veteran,  a  loud,  hoarse  whistler,  in  the  lead, 
evidently  migrate  up  our  coast  to  the  St.  Lawrence  and  across 
Canada,  to  disperse  over  the  broad  prairies  of  the  northwest. 
Not  at  all  dependent  on  water,  however  truly  their  bills  indi- 
cate that  nature  intended  them  for  shore  birds,  they  are  quite  as 
likely  to  alight  on  dry,  grassy  uplands  as  on  the  muddy  flats  of 
lower  water  courses.  "Their  flight  is  not  rapid,  but  well  sus- 
tained, with  regular  strokes  of  the  wings,"  says  Goss;  "and 
when  going  a  distance,  usually  high,  in  a  triangular  form,  utter- 
ing now  and  then  their  loud,  prolonged  whistling  note,  so 
often  heard  during  the  breeding  season.  Before  alighting,  they 
suddenly  drop  nearly  to  the  ground,  then  gather,  and  with  a  ris- 
ing sweep,  gracefully  alight."  Flocks  on  their  way  south  stop  to 
rest  awhile  on  Long  Island  any  time  from  July  to  September. 

Wherever  the  curlew  strays,  its  large  size  and  unusual  bill 
make  it  conspicuous.  It  is  a  shy  and  wary  bird,  impossible  to 
stalk  when  feeding,  but  responsive  to  an  imitation  of  its  call,  and 
coming  readily  to  decoys.  In  the  interior,  sportsmen  declare  the 
flesh  is  well  worth  shooting;  but  on  the  coast,  north  or  south,  even 
its  odor  is  rank.  Evidently  there  is  a  truly  strong  attachment  be- 
tween members  of  the  same  flock,  as  there  is  among  many  sand- 
pipers, for  the  cries  of  wounded  and  dying  victims  draw  the 
agonized  sympathizers  back  to  the  spot  where  they  lie,  although 
a  second  discharge  may  bring  them  the  same  fate. 

Three  or  four  clay  colored  eggs,  shaped  like  a  barnyard 
hen's,  but  spotted  with  fine  marks  of  chocolate  brown,  are  found 
in  a  depression  of  the  ground.  Great  numbers  of  nests  are  made 
on  the  south  Atlantic  coast  and  also  on  the  prairies  of  the  north- 
west, a  strange  division  of  habitat  indeed  for  young  chicks. 

Whimbrel,  Striped-head,  and  Crooked-bill,  the  Hudsonian 
Short-billed  or  Jack  Curlew  (Numenius  hudsonicus),  with  a  bill 
only  three  or  four  inches  long  to  bring  the  entire  length  of  the 
bird  to  sixteen  or  eighteen  inches,  has  blackish  brown  upper 
parts  mottled  with  buff,  most  conspicuous  on  wing  coverts;  the 

235 


Snipe,  Sandpipers,  etc. 

crown  dusky  brown,  with  a  buff  central  stripe;  the  rest  of  head, 
neck,  and  under  parts  light  buff;  a  brownish  streak  running 
through  the  eye,  and  the  neck  and  breast  spotted  with  brown. 
Flying  up  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Patagonia,  the  southern  limits 
of  its  winter  quarters,  the  Jack  curlew  sometimes  loiters  awhile  in 
May  on  our  mud  flats  and  marshes  before  continuing  in  V-shaped 
flocks  up  to  the  south  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence  (but  not  across 
it),  then  due  north  to  Hudson  Bay,  where  the  nests  are  built. 
Evidently  nesting  duties  are  soon  ended,  for  returning  migrants 
commonly  reach  Long  Island  from  July  to  October.  No  one  has 
a  good  reason  to  give  for  shooting  these  birds,  yet  it  is  certain 
that  whereas  they  were  once  abundant  they  are  now  almost  rare. 

The  Eskimo  Curlew,  Fute,  Doe  or  Dough  Bird,  Short-billed 
or  Little  Curlew  (Numenius  borealis);  about  thirteen  inches  long, 
its  short,  decurved  bill  measuring  less  than  two  and  a  half  inches, 
has  blackish  brown  upper  parts  spotted  with  buff;  the  crown 
streaked,  but  without  the  distinct  central  line  that  marks  the 
head  of  the  Jack  curlew;  the  under  parts  buffy  or  whitish,  the 
breast  streaked;  the  sides  and  under  wing  coverts  barred  with 
black.  En  route  from  the  Arctic  regions,  where  it  nests,  to 
Patagonia,  where  it  winters,  this  is  a  very  common  species  at 
times.  The  prairie  lands  adjacent  to  the  Mississippi,  its  favorite 
highway,  hold  "immense  flocks"  in  August  and  later,  it  is 
said ;  but  very  few  stragglers  reach  the  Atlantic  shores.  Just  as 
the  Jack  curlew  scrapes  acquaintance  with  the  willet,  godwit, 
and  other  sandpipers  on  our  beaches,  so  this  curlew  associates 
with  the  upland  "plover,"  the  golden  plover,  and  other  birds  of 
the  interior  in  this  country  and  on  the  pampas  covered  plains  of 
the  Argentine  Republic.  In  the  Barren  Grounds  and  across  the 
continent  from  Greenland  to  Behring  Straits,  the  Eskimo  curlew 
nests.  Its  whistle  is  less  harsh  and  loud  than  its  long-billed 
cousin's,  but  in  their  habits  generally  these  three  curlews  are 
alike. 


236 


PLOVERS 

(Family  Charadriidce) 

Black-breasted    Plover 

(Cbaradrius  squatarola) 

Called  also:  BEETLE-HEAD;  SWISS  PLOVER;  BULL-HEAD; 
WHISTLING  FIELD  PLOVER;  OX-EYE;  BLACK-BEL- 
LIED PLOVER;  MAY  COCK 


Length  —  11  to  12  inches. 

Male  and  Female—  In  summer  :  Mottled  black  and  white;  the  up- 
per parts  black  bordered  with  white;  tail  white  barred  with 
black;  sides  of  head  and  neck  and  under  parts  black,  except 
lower  abdomen  and  under  tail  coverts,  which  are  white;  axil- 
lars  (feathers  growing  from  armpits)  black.  Short  bill  and 
the  feet  and  legs  black  ;  a  small  hind  toe.  In  winter  :  Simi- 
lar, except  that  upper  parts  are  brownish  gray  lightly  edged 
with  white,  and  under  parts  are  mixed  black  and  white;  but 
numerous  intermediate  stages  occur,  and  the  plumage  is  most 
variable.  Immature  birds  have  black  upper  parts,  the  head 
and  neck  streaked  and  the  back  spotted  with  buffer  yellow 
brown  ;  the  breast  and  sides  streaked  with  brownish  gray. 

Range  —  Almost  cosmopolitan;  nests  in  Arctic  regions,  and  win- 
ters from  southern  United  States  to  the  West  Indies  and 
Brazil. 

Season  —  Spring  and  autumn  migrant;  May,  June;  August  to  Oc- 
tober; more  abundant  in  autumn. 

Crescent  shaped  flocks  of  black-breasted  plover,  launched  on 
a  journey  from  one  end  of  our  continent  to  the  other,  come  out  of 
the  south  in  May  ;  and  following  routes  through  the  interior,  as  well 
as  along  the  coasts,  make  short  stops  only  on  the  way  to  nest 
in  the  Arctic  regions.  They  are  now  restless,  as  most  birds  are  in 
spring.  Large  and  stout  for  plovers,  distinctly  black  and  white 
while  the  nesting  plumage  is  worn,  there  is  less  danger  of  con- 

237 


Plovers 

fusing  them  now  than  in  the  autumn  migration,  when  immature 
birds,  especially,  so  closely  resemble  the  golden  plover  that  it  is 
only  by  noting  this  bird's  small  hind  toe,  which  no  other  plover 
owns,  and  the  black  axillars,  or  feathers  of  its  armpits,  so  to 
speak,  where  the  golden  plover  is  smoky  gray,  that  the  sports- 
man can  positively  tell  which  bird  he  has  bagged.  It  has  been 
said  that  these  plovers  migrate  in  wedge  shaped  ranks  and  lines 
like  ducks  and  geese,  which  may  often  be  the  case,  but  not  al- 
ways or  usual,  we  think.  A  cresent  shaped  flock,  the  horns  point- 
ing sometimes  forward,  sometimes  backward,  seems  to  be  the 
preferred  form  of  flight.  Long,  perfect  wings,  a  full,  slow  wing 
stroke,  and  a  light  body  are  a  combination  well  calculated  to 
discount  distance. 

Arctic  travellers  have  brought  back  clutches  of  three  or  four 
pointed  eggs  that  vary  greatly  in  color,  ranging  between  light 
yellowish  olive  or  dark  to  shades  of  brown  spotted  and  speckled 
with  rufous.  They  have  also  brought  back  a  "  yarn  " — or  is  it  a 
fact  ? — about  the  males  sitting  on  the  nest  and  doing  all  the  incu- 
bating, while  the  females  enjoy  Jin  de  si&cle  emancipation. 
Fluffy,  precocious  chicks  hatched  in  June  become  expert  flyers 
by  July,  and  in  August  arrive  in  the  United  States  with  parents 
and  friends  in  motley  flocks,  often  no  two  birds  of  which  are 
wearing  precisely  the  same  feathers.  Having  fed  chiefly  on  ber- 
ries and  grasshoppers  at  the  north,  autumn  birds  are  counted  good 
eating;  but  as  they  have  a  decided  preference  for  tide  water  flats 
and  marshes  where  shrimps  and  other  small  marine  creatures 
form  their  diet,  the  flesh  soon  becomes  sedgy  and  unpalatable 
once  they  reach  the  coast.  A  quick  strike  at  a  particle  of  food 
about  to  be  picked  up  makes  these  plovers  appear  greedy;  how- 
ever, all  their  motions  are  quick  and  sudden.  In  running,  espe- 
cially, are  they  nimble:  a  sprint  of  a  few  yards,  a  sudden  halt  to 
reconnoitre  with  upstretched  heads,  another  quick  run,  then  a 
pause,  are  characteristic  movements  of  most  plovers,  just  as  squat- 
ting to  conceal  themselves  is. 

Because  so  many  young  innocents  which  have  no  knowledge 
of  men  make  up  the  autumn  flocks,  these  respond  quickly  to  de- 
coys and  to  an  imitation  of  their  clear,  mellow  whistle,  that  pene- 
trates to  surprising  distances  from  where  the  birds  are  circling  high 
in  air.  Down  they  sail  on  motionless  wings,  apparently  glad  for 
any  diversion  in  their  aimless,  roving  life.  Soft  notes  of  content- 

238 


Plovers 

ment  uttered  as  they  drift  with  decurved  wings  and  dangling 
legs  toward  the  decoys  are  soon  silenced  forever  by  a  deadly 
report.  Twenty  years  ago  the  black-breasted  and  the  golden 
plovers  were  abundant  on  the  Iowa  and  Illinois  prairies  in  spring 
and  fall,  but  they  were  pursued  by  sportsmen  so  relentlessly  that 
now  a  flock  is  seldom  seen  in  either  state.  The  few  birds  that . 
remain  seem  to  have  chosen  some  other  route  for  their  migra- 
tions, in  order  to  escape  the  fusilades  to  which  they  were  there 
subjected. 

American  Golden  Plover 

(Charadrius  dominions) 

Called also:  FIELD  PLOVER;  GREENBACK;  GREEN  PLOVER; 
PALE-BREAST;  TOAD-HE  AD;  PRAIRIE  PIGEON;  FROST 
BIRD;  SaUEALER 

Length — 10.50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Mottled  upper  parts  black,  green- 
ish, golden  yellow,  and  a  little  white,  the  yellow  in  excess; 
tail  brownish  gray  indistinctly  barred  with  whitish ;  sides  of 
breast  white;  other  under  parts  and  sides  of  head  black;  un- 
der wing  coverts  ashy  gray.  Bill  and  feet  black.  In  winter  : 
Upper  parts  and  tail  dusky,  spotted  or  barred  with  yellow  or 
whitish,  the  colors  not  so  pure  as  in  summer;  under  parts 
grayish  white,  purest  on  chin  and  abdomen;  the  throat  and 
sides  of  head  streaked  ;  the  breast  and  sides  of  neck  and 
body  mottled  with  dusky  grayish  brown ;  legs  dusky. 
Immature  birds  resemble  winter  adults;  also  like  black- 
breasted  plovers;  but  the  grayish  axillars  and  the  lack  of  a 
fourth  toe  sufficiently  distinguish  this  species  from  the  pre- 
ceding, however  variable  the  plumage  may  be  at  different 
seasons. 

Range — North  America  at  large ;  nests  in  Arctic  regions ;  winters 
from  Florida  t6  Patagonia. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant;  May;  August  to  Novem- 
ber. 

Golden  grain,  golden  rod,  golden  maple  leaves,  and  golden 
plover  all  come  together;  the  birds  not  so  yellow,  it  is  true,  as 
they  were  in  the  spring,  when  they  gave  us  only  a  passing 
glimpse  of  their  clearer,  more  intense  speckled  plumage,  but  still 
yellow  enough  to  be  in  harmony  with  nature's  autumnal  color 

239 


Plovers 

scheme.  Indeed,  they  blend  so  well  with  their  surroundings  as  to 
be  all  but  invisible.  Usually  the  under  parts  of  birds  are  light  col- 
ored to  help  make  them  inconspicuous  on  the  wing;  but  the  black 
markings  on  this  and  the  preceding  plovers  are  notable  excep- 
tions. High  above  the  corn  and  buckwheat,  the  stubble,  the 
burned  and  ploughed  fields  of  the  interior,  or  the  level  stretches 
of  grass  far  back  of  the  beaches,  the  sandy  dunes,  and  flats  bared 
at  low  tide  along  the  coast,  come  the  plovers  in  crescent-shaped 
flocks,  now  massed,  now  scattered,  now  rising,  now  dipping,  the 
wings  tremulous  with  speed,  and  swinging  round  in  a  circle  at 
sight  of  a  feeding  ground  to  their  liking.  With  soft,  trilled 
mellow  whistles  rippling  from  their  throats,  the  birds  drift  down- 
ward on  set,  decurved  wings,  and  skim  low  before  alighting. 
For  an  instant,  as  their  dangling  legs  touch  the  ground,  they  raise 
their  wings  high  above  their  backs  until  they  meet,  then  slowly  fold 
them  against  their  sides.  Now  they  scatter,  and  running  nimbly 
and  gracefully  hither  and  thither,  check  themselves  suddenly 
from  time  to  time,  raise  their  heads  and  look  about  to  reconnoitre. 
Every  motion  is  quick;  they  strike  at  a  particle  of  food  as  if 
about  to  take  a  dive  loon  fashion,  then  run  lightly  on  again,  soon 
returning  to  the  same  spot  if  driven  off.  A  hasty  run  must  be 
taken,  even  when  frightened,  before  the  plovers  spring  into  the 
air.  A  flock  has  a  curious  way  of  standing  stock  still  at  an 
alarming  noise,  before  starting  to  run.  When  they  squat  and 
hide  behind  tufts  of  beach  grass,  it  takes  sharp  eyes  to  detect 
birds  from  sand. 

But  even  without  apparent  alarm,  the  scattered  birds  often  rise 
as  if  summoned  by  some  invisible  and  inaudible  captain,  and 
fly  close  along  the  ground,  wheeling  and  dashing  and  skimming 
in  beautiful  and  intricate  evolutions.  Such  a  flock  offers  all  too 
easy  a  side  shot.  In  "the  good  old  days"  of  carnage  that  are 
responsible  for  the  scarcity  of  this  fine  game  bird  to-day,  it  often 
rained  plover  when  the  gunners  were  abroad.  This  latter  phrase 
suggests  the  query :  What  connection  of  ideas  is  there  between 
pluvia  (rain)  and  plover  derived  from  that  word  ?  An  early 
French  writer,  Belon  (1555),  speaking  of  the  European  species,  of 
course,  says  "Pour  ce  qu'on  le  prend  mieux  en  temps,  plurieux 
qu'en  nulle  autre  saison  ;"  but  with  us  the  birds  are,  if  any- 
thing, wilder  and  less  approachable  in  rainy  weather  than  when 
it  is  fine.  Is  it  that  their  backs  look  as  if  they  had  been  sprinkled 

240 


Plovers 

with  rain  drops  ;  or  that  they  whistle  more  before  storms,  as 
their  German  name  (Regempfeifer)  would  imply;  or  that  the  east 
wind  that  brings  rain,  blows  flocks  of  these  migrants  in  from  sea  ? 

Golden  plovers,  once  so  plentiful  and  confiding  that  they  came 
near  enough  to  the  plough  for  the  farmer's  boy  to  strike  and  kill 
with  his  whip,  were  sold  in  the  Chicago  streets  for  fifty  cents  a 
hundred  within  the  memory  of  many,  and  those  not  the  oldest 
inhabitants.  Dead  birds  propped  up  with  sticks  when  the 
wooden  decoys  from  city  shops  were  not  available  ;  a  dried  pea 
rattling  about  in  a  hollow  reed  to  imitate  the  mellow  coodle,  coodle, 
coodle  of  the  plover's  melodious  call,  allured  the  birds  within  easy 
range  of  every  farm  hand's  antediluvian  musket. 

Plovers'  visits  depend  much  on  weather,  a  clear,  fine  day 
inviting  a  long,  unbroken  flight  far  out  at  sea  during  the  autumn 
migration ;  whereas  lowering  weather,  especially  an  easterly 
storm,  drives  the  birds  to  the  coast,  where,  flying  low,  a  warm 
reception  of  hot  shot  usually  awaits  them  from  behind  blinds. 
Grassy  level  stretches  and  pasture  lands  back  of  the  beaches, 
rather  than  sandy  places,  attract  them,  since  land  insects,  grass- 
hoppers particularly,  and  worms  are  what  they  are  ever  seeking. 
In  the  autumn  migration,  at  least,  the  great  majority  of  plovers 
follow  the  coast,  sometimes  closely,  sometimes  far  at  sea,  so  far 
that  many  flocks  on  their  way  to  South  America  pass  to  the  east 
of  Bermuda.  Long,  perfect  wings  and  light  bodies  enable  them 
to  cover  immense  distances  without  resting.  While  no  fixed 
route  appears  to  be  followed  in  spring,  possibly  the  birds  show 
a  preference  then  for  the  freshly-ploughed  inland  fields  where 
food,  winged,  crawling,  and  in  the  larval  state,  abounds. 

Among  all  the  gaily  dressed,  tuneful  lovers  that  visit  us  in 
May,  few  are  handsomer  and  more  charming  in  voice  and  man- 
ner than  this  melodious  whistler.  Further  north  he  breaks  into 
a  long  serenade,  sung  chiefly  in  the  short  Arctic  night :  tee-lee-lee, 
tu-lee-lee  wit,  wit  wit,  wee-u-wit,  chee-lee-u-too-lee-ee,  as  described 
by  Wilson,  who  followed  these  plovers  to  Behring  Sea  until  he 
found  their  nest,  that  so  few  know.  A  depression  among  the 
grass  or  moss,  lined  with  fine  grasses  and  dried  leaves,  usu- 
ally cradles  four  yellowish  eggs  covered  over  with  dark  red- 
dish brown  spots  ;  but  in  the  eggs,  as  in  the  plumage  of  the 
plovers,  there  is  great  variation.  Birds  that  lay  pointed  eggs,  as 
plovers  do,  arrange  the  narrow  ends  toward  the  centre  of  the 

241 


Plovers 


nest  that  they  may  be  the  better  covered  ;  and  rumor  says  these 
emancipated  females  leave  all  the  incubating  to  the  males. 


Killdeer 

(sEgialitts  vocifera) 

Called  also:  KILLDEE  ;  KILDEER  PLOVER 

Length — 9.50  to  10.50  inches.     About  the  size  of  the  robin. 

Male  and  Female — Grayish  brown  washed  with  olive  above ;  the 
forehead,  spot  behind  eyes,  throat,  a  ring  around  the  neck, 
a  patch  on  wing,  a  band  across  breast,  and  underneath,  white; 
front  of  crown,  cheeks,  a  ring  around  neck,  and  a  band  across 
breast,  black;  lower  back  and  base  of  tail  chestnut;  inner 
tail  feathers  like  upper  parts;  outer  feathers  chestnut  and 
white,  all  with  subterminal  band  of  black  tipped  with  white. 
Bill  black;  legs  light;  eyelids  red. 

Range — Temperate  North  America  to  Newfoundland  and  Mani- 
toba; nests  throughout  range;  winters  usually  south  of  New 
England  to  Bermuda,  the  West  Indies,  Central  and  South 
America. 

Season — Resident,  March  to  November,  or  later  ;  most  abundant 
in  spring  and  autumn  migrations. 

A  certain  corn  field  used  to  be  visited  daily  by  an  aspiring 
ornithologist,  aged  nine,  for  a  peep  at  four  little  yellowish  white 
eggs,  spotted  and  scrawled  with  chocolate  brown,  that  were  laid 
directly  on  the  ground,  without  so  much  as  a  blade  of  grass  to 
cradle  them.  Every  visit  threw  the  old  birds  into  a  panic,  which, 
of  course,  was  part  of  the  fun  anticipated  in  making  the  visit. 
Kildeer,  killdeer,  dee,  dee,  they  called  incessantly  as  they  whirled 
about  overhead  and  screamed  in  the  child's  ears;  but  still  the  eggs 
were  relentlessly  fondled,  while  the  mother  now  frantically  ran 
about,  dragging  her  wings  beside  her,  pretending  to  be  lame;  now 
sprang  into  the  air  and  dashed  about  every  which  way,  as  if  mad. 
In  spite  of  much  handling,  however,  the  eggs  actually  hatched; 
and  what  was  the  child's  amazement  after  leaving  them  at  nine 
o'clock  one  morning  to  return  at  ten  and  find  eggs,  birds,  and  even 
shells  had  disappeared!  Later  a  brood  of  queer,  top-heavy,  long- 
legged,  striped,  and  downy  chicks  was  discovered  running 

242 


Plovers 

nimbly  about  the  corn  field,  feeding;  but  what  they  did  with 
their  eggshells  ever  remained  a  mystery. 

This  common  plover  of  pastures  and  cultivated  fields,  of  lake- 
sides  and  marshes,  or  any  broad  tracts  of  land  near  water,  that 
seems  indispensable  to  its  happiness,  is  in  decided  evidence  be- 
cause of  its  wild,  noisy  cry  even  when  we  cannot  see  the  bird ; 
but  the  two  black  bands  across  its  breast,  its  white  forehead  and 
red  eyelids  easily  identify  it  whenever  met.  As  a  rule  one  sees 
flocks  of  these  plovers  only  a-wing,  for  they  scatter  when 
feeding.  Sometimes  the  kill-dee,  kill-dee  sounds  low  and  sweet, 
with  a  plaintive  strain  in  it;  but  let  any  one  approach  the  bird's 
haunts,  and  the  voice  rises  higher  and  shriller  until  it  would  seem 
the  strident  notes  must  soon  snap  the  vocal  cords.  Cows, 
horses,  sheep,  and  the  larger  poultry  that  wander  over  a  farm  do 
not  alarm  these  birds  in  the  least.  In  their  presence  they  are 
gentle  and  almost  tame,  but  a  man  is  their  abhorrence  in  regions 
where  they  have  been  persecuted;  elsewhere  they  are  not  con- 
spicuously wild.  Yet  their  flesh  is  musky  and  worthless  from 
the  point  of  view  of  the  sportsman,  who  seldom  wastes  shot  on 
it.  A  startled  bird  will  run  swiftly  away  rather  than  fly  at 
first,  stop  occasionally  to  look  back  at  the  villain  still  pursuing 
it,  crying  complainingly  all  the  while,  and  perhaps  flutter  in 
low,  short  flights  to  lure  the  intruder  still  farther  away.  But  the 
killdeer,  with  its  long,  perfect  wings,  is  a  strong,  steady  high-flyer, 
however  erratic  and  uncertain  its  flight  may  be  when  suddenly 
flushed  by  some  innocent  stroller  taking  a  short  cut  through  the 
pasture.  Restless  and  full  of  fears,  real  or  imaginary,  there  is 
scarcely  an  hour  of  the  day  or  the  night  when  its  voice  is  not 
raised,  until  sportsmen  have  come  to  regard  so  keen  a  sentinel  as 
a  nuisance.  Dr.  Livingston  met  with  a  close  kinsman  of  the 
killdeer  in  Africa  that  he  described  as  "a  most  plaguey  sort  of 
public  spirited  individual  that  follows  you  everywhere,  flying 
overhead,  and  is  most  persevering  in  his  attempts  to  give  fair 
warning  to  all  animals  within  hearing  to  flee  from  the  approach 
of  danger." 

On  the  ground,  where  the  killdeer  spends  most  of  its  time,  it 
moves  about  daintily,  quickly,  even  nervously ;  for  it  never  remains 
still  except  for  the  instant  when  it  seems  to  gaze  at  an  intruder 
with  withering  contempt.  Since  worms,  that  are  its  favorite  food, 
come  to  the  surface  after  sundown,  this  bird,  like  many  others  of 

243 


Plovers 

similar  tastes,  is  partly  nocturnal  in  habits;  but  grasshoppers, 
crickets,  and  other  insects  take  it  abroad  much  by  day.  It  mi- 
grates chiefly  at  night,  the  hilldeer,  hildeer,  resounding  from  the 
very  stars. 

Semipalmated    Plover 

(sEgialitis  semipalmata) 

Called  also:    RING-NECKED     OR     RING     PLOVER 

Length — 6.75  to  7  inches.  A  trifle  larger  than  the  English  spar- 
row. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  brownish  gray ;  front  of  crown, 
band  across  base  of  bill,  sides  of  head  below  eye,  and  band  on 
breast,  that  almost  encircles  the  neck,  black;  forehead,  throat, 
ring  around  neck,  parts  of  outer  tail  feathers,  and  under  parts 
white.  Brownish  gray  replaces  the  black  in  winter  plumage. 
Bill  black,  orange  at  base ;  ring  around  eye  bright  orange ; 
yellow  toes,  webbed  at  the  base. 

Range — North  America  at  large;  nesting  from  Labrador  and 
Alaska  northward  to  Arctic  sea;  winters  from  Gulf  states  to 
Bermuda,  West  Indies,  Peru,  and  Brazil. 

Season — Spring  and  autumn  migrant;  April,  May;  July,  August, 
September;  most  plentiful  in  late  summer  and  early  autumn. 

Closely  associated  with  the  friendly  little  sandpipers,  these 
small  plovers  likewise  haunt  the  beaches,  their  plumage  in  autumn 
being  precisely  the  color  of  the  wet  sand  they  constantly  run 
about  on  in  small  scattered  flocks.  When  the  tide  goes  out, 
their  activities  increase.  Birds  that  have  been  hiding  in  the 
marshes  and  sand  dunes  now  trip  a  light  measure  over  the  ex- 
posed sand  bars  and  mud  flats,  leaving  little  tracks  that  may  not 
be  distinguished  from  those  of  the  sand  ox-eye  or  semipalmated 
sandpiper  that  hunts  with  them,  although  the  plover  has  only 
three  half  webbed  toes.  The  small,  slightly  elevated  fourth  toe 
of  the  ox-eye  is  only  faintly  evident  at  times  in  its  tracks. 

Tiny  forms  chase  out  after  the  receding  waves,  running  in 
just  in  advance  of  the  frothing  ripples  that  do  not  quite  overtake 
them,  although  the  plovers  almost  never  spring  to  wing  as  sand- 
pipers do  when  a  drenching  threatens,  but  place  all  their  Crust  in 
their  fleet  legs.  With  such  feet  as  theirs,  they  must  be  able  to 
swim ;  but  who  ever  sees  them  in  deep  water  ?  More  silent,  too, 

244 


Plovers 

than  sandpipers,  it  is  chiefly  when  alarmed  that  two  plaintive, 
sweet,  but  sometimes  sharp  notes  escape  them,  whereas  sand- 
pipers keep  up  their  cheerful  peep,  peep,  under  all  circumstances. 
Real  danger  summons  the  scattered  flocks  of  ring-necks  to  wing 
into  a  compact  mass  that  moves  as  if  swayed  by  one  mind ;  but  like 
most  birds  that  nest  too  far  north  to  become  acquainted  with 
murderous  men,  these  gentle,  confiding  little  plovers  suspect  no 
evil  intentions  and  rarely  fly  away.  Running  to  hide  by  squat- 
ting behind  tufts  of  beach  grass  stills  their  small  fears. 

In  the  interior,  for  an  inland  route  is  followed  as  well  as  a 
coastwise  one,  the  ring-neck  runs  about  the  margins  of  small  lakes 
or  ponds,  rivers  and  marshes,  everywhere  looking  for  worms, 
small  bits  of  shell  fish,  eggs  of  fish,  and  insects;  always  alert  and 
busy  and  hungry.  General  Greeley  found  these  plovers  stilt 
nesting  in  Grinnell  Land  early  in  July;  yet  by  the  end  of  the 
month  stragglers  from  large  flocks  begin  to  arrive  in  the  United 
States — a  little  journey  to  try  the  wings  of  fledgelings  en  route  to 
Brazil.  It  is  said  the  male  arranges  the  small  pear  shaped  buff 
eggs,  spotted  with  chocolate,  with  the  pointed  end  toward  the  cen- 
tre of  the  depression  in  the  ground  that  answers  as  nest,  the  bet- 
ter to  cover  all  four  with  his  breast,  for  it  is  he  who  does  most,  if 
not  all,  of  the  incubating.  Greenlanders,  who  have  a  longer 
opportunity  to  study  this  interesting  little  bird,  say  that  it  claps 
its  wings  before  a  storm  and  becomes  strangely  excited;  but 
although  it  has  the  dainty  habit  of  lifting  its  wings  high  above 
its  back  till  they  meet,  on  alighting,  no  excited  clapping  of  them 
has  been  recorded  here.  This  is  the  most  abundant  and  most 
widely  distributed  of  the  ring-necks. 


Piping  Plover 

(/Egialitis  meloda) 

Called  also  :    PALE  RING-NECK 

Length—']  inches.     A  trifle  larger  than  the  English  sparrow. 
Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  very  pale    ash;    forehead,   ring 

around  neck,  and   under  parts  white;   front  of  the  crown 

and  a  link  of  incomplete  collar  either  side  of  breast,  black; 

inner  tail  feathers  dusky,  the  outer  ones  becoming  white. 

In  winter  plumage  the  black  is  replaced  by  brownish  ash. 

245 


Plovers 

Range— North  America  east  of  the  Rockies ;  nesting  from  coast  of 
Virginia  northward  to  Newfoundland;  winters  in  West 
Indies. 

Season — Summer  resident,  March  to  September;  most  abundant 
in  autumn  migrations. 

Very  slight  differences  in  the  habits  of  plovers  that  haunt  our 
beaches  have  been  noted  by  the  most  tireless  students,  and  were 
it  not  for  the  piping  plover's  notes  there  would  be  nothing  be- 
yond a  reference  to  its  stronger  maritime  preferences  and  more 
southerly  nesting  range  to  add  to  the  account  of  the  ring-neck. 
The  piper,  much  lighter  in  color,  is  the  lightest  species  that  visits 
us.  It  nests  among  the  shingle  on  our  beaches  from  Virginia  to 
Maine  and  beyond,  where  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  discover  the 
finely  speckled  drab  eggs  that  imitate  the  sand  perfectly;  and 
possibly  because  it  does  not  pass  half  its  year  in  Arctic  seclusion, 
as  some  other  plovers  do,  it  is  not  quite  so  gentle  and  confiding 
as  they — this  is  the  sum  of  its  peculiarities.  Its  pathetically  small 
size,  scarcely  larger  than  that  of  an  English  sparrow,  should  be, 
but  is  not,  a  sufficient  protection  from  the  gun. 

"It  cannot  be  called  a  'whistler'  nor  even  a  'piper'  in  an 
ordinary  sense,"  says  Mr.  Langille.  "Its  tone  has  a  particularly 
striking  and  musical  quality.  Oueep,  queep,  queep-o,  or  peep, 
peep,  peep-lo,  each  syllable  being  uttered  with  a  separate,  distinct, 
and  somewhat  long  drawn  enunciation,  may  imitate  its  peculiar 
melody,  the  tone  of  which  is  round,  full,  and  sweet,  reminding 
one  of  a  high  key  on  an  Italian  hand-organ  or  the  hautboy  in  a 
church  organ."  The  sweet,  low  notes,  it  should  be  added,  have 
an  almost  ventriloqual  quality  also,  that  often  makes  it  difficult  to 
locate  the  bird  by  the  ear  alone. 

Retiring  to  the  dunes  and  meadows  back  of  the  beach  only 
to  sleep  or  rest  when  the  tide  is  high,  we  most  frequently  see 
this  active  little  sprite  running  nimbly  along  the  wet  sands, 
poking  among  the  shells,  chasing  out  after  the  waves,  and  hur- 
riedly picking  up  bits  of  food  before  being  chased  in  by  them,  or 
flying  above  the  crests  short  distances  along  the  beach,  usually  to 
escape  a  deluge  from  the  combing  breakers.  All  its  movements 
are  alert,  quick,  graceful.  At  Muskegat,  where  this  plover's  nests 
are  found  among  the  terns',  the  plover  loses  little  by  comparison 
with  those  preeminently  graceful  birds.  Around  the  great  lakes 

246 


Plovers 

scattered  flocks  are  seen  in  the  migrations  chiefly;  but  it  is  on 
the  secluded  Atlantic  beaches,  comfortably  distant  from  seaside 
resorts,  that  we  find  the  piping  plover  most  abundant. 

The  Belted  Piping  Plover  (/Egialitis  meloda  circumcincta),  a 
western  representative  of  the  preceding,  differs  from  it  only  in 
having  the  black  links  on  the  breast  joined  to  form  a  band. 

The  Mountain  Plover  (Agialitis  montana),  a  distinctly  prairie 
bird,  rather  than  a  mountaineer,  has  grayish  brown  upper  parts, 
the  feathers  margined  with  chestnut;  the  white  under  parts  grow 
yellowish  on  breast,  but  without  belt  or  patches;  the  front  of  the 
crown  and  the  cheeks  black.  It  is  almost  nine  inches  long.  It 
has  all  the  charming  grace,  quickness  of  motion,  and  winning 
confidence  that  characterize  its  clan. 


Wilson's  Plover 

(/Egialitis  wilsonia) 

Length — 7.50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  ashy  brown,  tinged  on  nape  and 
sides  of  head  with  chestnut ;  forehead  and  under  parts  white, 
the  white  of  throat  passing  around  like  a  collar,  and  the 
white  of  forehead  running  backward  in  a  line  over  each  eye 
to  nape;  lores,  front  of  crown,  and  a  band  across  the  breast 
black  in  male,  brownish  gray  in  female ;  inner  tail  feathers 
dark  olive,  the  outer  ones  becoming  white.  Bill  large,  stout, 
and  black;  no  colored  eye  ring;  legs  flesh  colored.  Imma- 
ture birds  look  like  mother,  but  have  upper  parts  margined 
with  gray  or  white,  more  closely  resembling  dry  sand,  if 
possible,  than  do  the  adults. 

Range — America,  nesting  from  Virginia  southward ;  winters  south 
to  Central  and  South  America;  common  on  south  Atlantic 
and  Gulf  beaches  and  California. 

Season — Summer  resident;  a  few  winter  in  the  south. 

A  beach  bird  in  the  strictest  sense,  Wilson's  plover  is  never 
found  inland,  but  close  beside  tide  water  on  the  mud  flats  that 
furnish  a  fresh  menu  at  each  ebbing ;  or  on  the  dry  sand  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  surf,  where  its  plumage,  in  wonderful  mimicry  of 
its  surroundings,  conceals  it  perfectly.  In  the  short,  sparse  grass 

247 


Plovers 

of  the  upper  beaches,  a  brooding  bird  that  knows  enough  to  keep 
still  in  the  presence  of  a  passer-by,  runs  little  risk  of  detection. 
The  three  clay  colored  eggs,  evenly  and  rather  finely  spotted 
and  speckled  with  brown,  that  are  laid  directly  on  the  sand, 
require  little  incubating,  however,  beyond  what  the  sunshine 
gives  them ;  but  the  parents  never  stroll  so  far  away  from  their 
treasures  that  they  may  not  return  instantly  danger  threatens  and 
run  or  swoop  about  the  visitor,  imploring  retreat.  Gentle,  unsus- 
picious manners  give  these  birds  half  their  charm.  Their  grace 
of  motion,  another  characteristic,  suffers  little  by  comparison  with 
that  of  the  terns  not  infrequently  found  nesting  among  them. 
On  the  ground  all  plovers  excel  in  sprightliness;  every  move- 
ment is  quick  and  free;  and  on  the  wing,  also,  these  describe  all 
manner  of  exquisite  evolutions,  half  turning  in  the  air  to  show  now 
the  upper,  now  the  under  side  of  the  bodies;  now  sailing  on 
long,  decurved,  motionless  wings;  now  hovering  an  instant 
before  alighting,  stretching  their  wing  tips  high  above  the  back — 
a  beautiful  posture  that  the  terns  have  evidently  copied. 

Quite  closely  resembling  the  semipalmated  plover  in  plu- 
mage, this  species  may  always  be  known  by  its  large,  heavy  bill, 
the  largest,  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  bird,  any  plover  has, 
and  by  the  absence  of  a  bright  eye  ring  that,  with  the  partial 
webbing  of  its  toes,  are  the  ring-neck's  diagnostic  features.  Small 
flocks  of  Wilson's  plover  reach  Long  Island  every  summer,  but 
rarely  touch  the  New  England  coast.  The  morsel  of  flesh  on  its 
plump  little  breast  should  seem  not  worth  the  hunting  by  healthy 
men,  whose  appetites  need  no  coaxing.  One  who  little  under- 
stands the  ways  of  gunners  might  think  a  bird  smaller  than  a 
robin  would  suffer  little  persecution. 

Dr.  Coues  describes  this  plover's  note  as  half  a  whistle,  half  a 
chirp,  quite  different  from  the  other  plovers'  calls;  but  a  plaintive 
quality  can  be  detected  in  it,  too,  as  in  the  voices  of  most  beach 
birds,  that  reflect  something  of  the  mystery  and  sadness  of  the 
sea.  In  his  lines  to  "The  Little  Beach  Bird,"  that  are  appli- 
cable to  a  dozen  species,  Richard  Henry  Dana  emphasizes  the 
contrast  between  the  joyous  songs  of  land  birds  and  the  melan- 
choly, plaintive  strains  of  those  that  live  along  the  sea. 


248 


SURF    BIRDS    AND    TURNSTONES 

(Family  Apbrifidce) 

Turnstone 

(Arenaria  interpret) 

Called  also;— BRANT  BIRD;  CALICO  BACK;  CHECKERED 
SNIPE  ;  HORSEFOOT  SNIPE  ;  HEART  BIRD  ;  CHICKEN 
PLOVER  ;  RED-LEGGED  PLOVER 

Length — 8. 50  to  9. 50  inches.     A  little  smaller  than  a  robin. 

Male  and  Female — In  summer:  Upper  parts  strangely  variegated 
and  patched  with  chestnut,  black,  brown,  and  white;  base  of 
tail  white,  the  tail  feathers  banded  with  black  and  tipped 
with  white;  white  band  on  wings;  beneath,  including  wing 
linings,  white;  the  throat  and  breast  jet  black  divided  by  a 
white  space.  Black,  short  bill  tapers  to  an  acute  tip,  very 
slightly  recurved ;  legs  orange  red ;  the  small  hind  toe  turns 
inward.  The  female  has  less  chestnut  and  more  plain  brown 
on  her  upper  parts,  and  the  black  lacks  the  lustre  of  jet. 
In  winter:  Upper  parts  blackish  blotched  with  gray  and  brown 
or  ashy  brown,  and  lacking  the  chestnut  feathers ;  the  breast 
markings  more  restricted. 

Range — Nearly  cosmopolitan ;  nests  in  Arctic  latitudes  and  in  the 
Western  hemisphere ;  migrates  to  South  America  so  far  as 
Patagonia. 

Season — Irregular,  transient  visitor;  April.  May;  August,  Septem- 
ber, or  later. 

With  a  bill  curiously  like  a  writing  pen,  this  well  named 
wader  turns  over  pebbles,  clods  of  mud,  shells,  and  seaweed  on 
the  beaches  more  commonly  about  the  foot  of  cliffs  and  in  stony 
coves  than  on  long,  sandy  stretches,  ever  looking  for  the  small 
marine  creatures  that  satisfy  its  appetite,  particularly  for  the  eggs 
of  the  horsefoot  or  king  crab  (Limulus  polyphemus),  its  favorite 
dainty.  Often  not  only  the  head  and  bill  must  be  used  to  push  over 
a  stone,  but  the  breast  assists  too ;  ordinarily,  however,  the  bird 

249 


Turnstones 

simply  pokes  its  bill  under  a  lighter  object,  and,  giving  its  head  a 
quick  jerk,  turns  over  the  roof  under  which  some  small  prey 
thought  itself  secure,  swallows  the  morsel,  then  runs  off  to  the  next 
shell  to  repeat  the  operation.  Seaweed  is  simply  tossed  aside. 

Joseph's  coat  doubtless  showed  no  more  variegated  patch- 
work than  the  turnstone's  nesting  plumage,  which,  however, 
differs  greatly  in  individuals,  scarcely  any  two  of  which  have  pre- 
cisely the  same  markings  at  any  season.  Because  of  this  variety 
the  early  ornithologists  believed  there  were  several  more  distinct 
species  of  turnstones  than  actually  exist.  Other  beach  birds  are 
mostly  clad  in  soft  tints  that  so  blend  with  the  sand  we  can 
scarcely  distinguish  them  until  they  move;  but  the  calico  back, 
although  small,  is  ever  conspicuous,  and  possibly  because  it  knows 
how  hopeless  concealment  is,  as  compared  with  the  confiding, 
gentle  little  sandpipers  and  plovers,  it  is  shy  and  wild. 

Small  companies  of  three  or  four,  or  family  parties,  run  about 
the  outer  beaches  with  all  the  sprightliness  of  plovers,  then  stop 
suddenly  to  meditate,  then  run  on  again,  pausing  to  turn  over  a 
shell  now  and  then,  but  always  active,  and  more  ready  to  place 
dependence  on  their  fleet  legs  than  on  their  wings  to  distance  a 
pursuer;  yet  when  one  goes  too  near,  the  turnstone  rises,  uttering 
a  few  twittering,  complaining  notes,  flaps  its  wings  quickly, 
sails  low,  and  with  a  few  more  flaps  and  another  sail  soon  alights 
at  no  great  distance,  to  return  to  the  point  where  it  was  flushed 
at  its  first  opportunity.  It  is  wonderfully  patient  and  persistent 
about  exhausting  the  resources  of  one  feeding  ground  before 
looking  for  another.  Wading  about  in  a  cove,  it  will  sometimes 
deliberately  seat  itself  in  the  water,  just  as  it  squats  on  a  beach, 
and  swim  off  easily  to  a  safe  distance  across  the  inlet  from  the 
intruder. 

A  bird  that  travels  from  Patagonia  to  the  Arctic  Circle  to  nest, 
naturally  is  a  fast,  strong  flyer,  the  frequent  sailings  after  quick 
flaps  of  the  wings  resting  them  sufficiently  to  make  long,  unin- 
terrupted flights  possible.  General  Greeley  found  turnstones  as 
far  north  as  he  went,  and  reported  that  fledgelings  which  in 
late  June  had  emerged  from  clay  colored  eggs  (blotched  and 
scrambled  with  grayish  brown)  were  able  to  fly  by  the  ninth  of 
July.  A  few  birds  take  an  inland  route  during  the  migrations, 
and  display  their  freaky  feathers  on  the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes 
and  larger  rivers. 

250 


OYSTER-CATCHERS 

(Family  Hcematopodida) 

American   Oyster-Catcher 

(Hcematopus  palliatus) 

Called  also:    BROWN-BACKED  OYSTER-CATCHER;  FLOOD 
GULL 

Length— \i  to  21  inches. 

Male  and  Female—  Head,  neck,  and  upper  breast  black ;  back  and 
wings  dark  olive  brown ;  greater  wing  coverts,  base  of  sec- 
ondaries, sides  of  lower  back,  upper  tail  coverts,  base  of  tail, 
and  all  under  parts,  white.  Bill  coral  red,  twice  as  long  as 
head,  compressed,  almost  like  a  knife-blade  at  end,  but  vary- 
ing in  shape,  owing  to  wear  and  tear;  feet  flesh  colored; 
three  toes  united  by  a  membrane  to  middle  joint. 

Range — "Sea-coasts  of  temperate  and  tropical  America,  from  New 
Jersey  and  Western  Mexico  to  Patagonia;  occasional  or  ac- 
cidental on  the  Atlantic  coast  north  to  Massachusetts  and 
Grand  Menan."  A.  O.  U. 

Children  brought  up  on  "  Alice  in  Wonderland  "  might  imag- 
ine from  the  name  of  this  bird  that  oysters  are  fleet-footed  racers 
along  our  beaches,  overtaken  at  the  end  of  a  breathless  chase  by 
the  oyster-catcher!  On  the  New  Jersey  coast  and  southward,  but 
rarely  farther  north,  we  see  (if  we  are  cautious,  far  sighted-stalk- 
ers),  this  curious  bird  actually  prying  open  shells  of  bivalves — oys- 
ters less  commonly,  however,  than  mussels  and  some  others — • 
and  digging  up  fiddler  crabs  and  worms  that  have  buried  them- 
selves in  the  soft  sand,  with  a  bill  that  is  one  of  the  most  peculiar 
among  bird  tools.  Long,  stout  at  the  base,  but  compressed  like 
a  knife  blade  at  the  end ;  often  as  worn  and  jagged  as  the  opener 
seen  at  a  Coney  Island  oyster  stand ;  sometimes  bent  sideways  from 
severe  wrenches ;  and  bright  coral  red — this  bill  belongs  in  the 
same  class  of  freaks  as  the  bills  of  the  avocet,  skimmer,  curlew, 

251 


Oyster-catchers 

woodcock,  and  sea  parrot.  The  oyster-catcher  is  a  shy  bird,  con- 
stantly on  the  alert,  and  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  steal  upon  one  close 
enough  to  watch  it  at  work.  Walking  with  stately  dignity  along 
the  lower  beach,  striking  its  bill  into  the  sand,  often  up  to  the  nos- 
trils, suddenly  it  stops  at  a  glimpse  of  an  intruder,  and  with  shrill 
notes  of  alarm  springs  into  the  air  and  is  off.  not  in  a  short  flight, 
as  the  confiding  little  plovers  and  sandpipers  make,  soon  to  return, 
but  away  down  the  beach,  often  out  of  sight.  Another  time  you 
will  have  learned  to  rely  on  a  powerful  field  glass  to  lessen  the 
distance  between  you. 

But  this  bird,  so  quick  to  move  out  of  harm's  way,  is  a  past 
master  in  the  art  of  stealing  upon  bivalves  unawares  when  they 
are  lying  about  on  the  beaches  with  their  shells  open,  and  prying 
the  shells  apart  until  the  delectable  morsels  are  cut  from  them  and 
swallowed.  Whoever  has  had  his  finger  pinched  between  mus- 
sel shells  will  not  be  surprised  at  the  crooked,  jagged  blade  the 
oyster-catcher  often  carries  about.  When  the  bird  finds  its  bill 
hopelessly  caught  in  a  vise,  it  simply  lifts  the  razor  clam,  "  racoon 
oyster,"  or  whatever  its  captor  may  be,  knocks  it  against  a  rock 
until  the  shell  is  broken,  and  then  feasts.  Limpets  are  pried  off 
rocks  as  if  with  a  chisel.  Again  the  oyster-catcher  wades  into 
the  shallows  for  shrimps  and  other  little  marine  creatures.  No 
doubt  it  can  swim  well  too,  owing  to  the  partial  webbing  of  its 
toes;  but  rapid  running  and  still  more  rapid  flying  usually  make 
other  accomplishments  superfluous.  With  tough,  unsavory  flesh 
to  save  it  from  sportsmen's  persecutions,  it  is  a  timid  bird,  never- 
theless. It  does  not  live  in  large  flocks ;  solitary,  or  with  two  or 
three  companions  only,  it  dwells  far  from  the  haunts  of  men  and 
apart  from  those  sociable  beach  birds  that  are  too  confiding  for 
self-preservation.  A  striking,  handsome  wader  on  the  ground, 
it  is  even  more  attractive  as  it  flies  with  a  few  friends,  showing 
its  glistening  white  under  parts  as  it  wheels  about  overhead 
with  great  regularity  of  manoeuvre.  Rapid  wing  beats  and  fre- 
quent sails  make  its  flight  strong,  yet  extremely  graceful.  A 
quick,  shrill  wheep,  wheep,  wheo,  uttered  on  the  wing  as  well  as 
on  the  ground,  voices  the  bird's  various  emotions.  Birds  of  a 
migrating  flock  are  said  to  keep  together  in  lines  like  a  mar- 
shalled troop,  swayed  by  one  mind,  just  as  they  appear  to  be 
when  wheeling  over  the  beach  on  pleasure  bent. 

Like  gulls,  terns,  skimmers,  and  other  beach  nesters,  the  oys- 
252 


Oyster-catchers 

ter-catchers  allow  the  sun-baked  sand  to  do  the  greater  part  of 
the  incubating,  the  parents  confining  themselves  only  at  night  or 
during  storms  on  three  or  four  pale  buff  eggs  spotted  and  blotched 
with  chocolate,  and  laid  directly  on  the  shingle,  in  a  depression. 
Mr.  Walter  Hoxie,  in  the  "Ornithologist  and  Oologist,"  tells  of 
seeing  a  pair  of  these  birds  whose  nest  had  been  discovered,  but 
not  disturbed,  take  the  eggs  about  one  hundred  yards  farther 
along  the  beach  and  deposit  them  safely,  one  by  one,  in  a  new 
nest  which  he  watched  them  prepare.  Fluffy  chicks,  that  run  as 
soon  as  hatched,  will  squat  and  remain  motionless  like  plovers, 
secure  in  their  plumage's  perfect  imitation  of  their  surroundings. 


253 


PART  III 
GALLINACEOUS  GAME  BIRDS 


255 


GALLINACEOUS  GAME  BIRDS 

Bob  Whites 

Grouse 

Turkeys 


17  257 


GALLINACEOUS  GAME  BIRDS 

(Order  Gallina) 

Birds  that  scratch  the  ground  for  food,  the  progenitors  of  our 
barn-yard  fowls,  the  game  birds  par  excellence  of  the  sportsman, 
none  are  more  interesting  either  from  his  point  of  view  or  from 
that  of  the  bird  student,  or  of  greater  commercial  value.  Certain 
structural  peculiarities  are  noticeable  throughout  the  group:  a 
greatly  enlarged  esophagus,  now  called  a  crop,  receives  the 
bolted  food  and  moistens  it,  leaving  to  a  very  thick,  hard  gizzard 
(except  in  the  sage  cock)  the  work  of  grinding  the  food  with  the 
help  of  gravel  swallowed  with  it.  Usually  heavy  in  body,  round 
breasted,  small  of  head,  stout  of  legs  and  feet,  sometimes  with 
spurs  on  the  former,  richly,  if  often  quietly,  plumed,  the  appear- 
ance of  these  birds  is  too  familiar  to  be  enlarged  upon.  They  are 
prolific  layers,  and  raise  large  broods,  that  follow  the  mother  like 
chickens,  as  soon  as  hatched,  one  or  more  families  composing  a 
covey  or  bevy  soon  after  the  nesting  season. 


Bob  Whites,   Grouse,  etc. 

(Family  Tetraonidce) 

Of  the  two  hundred  species  contained  in  this  great  family, 
one-half  belong  to  the  Old  World,  where  they  are  known 
as  partridges  and  quail,  names  miscellaneously  applied  to  our 
grouse  and  Bob  Whites,  that  differ  greatly  in  structure  from  their 
European  allies,  and  the  source  of  endless  confusion  in  the 
popular  mind.  Three  subfamilies  go  to  make  up  this  large 
family:  the  Perdicince,  or  Old  World  partridges  and  quail;  the 
Odontophon'nce,  or  New  World  partridges  and  Bob  Whites ;  and 
the  Tetraonince,  or  grouse.  These  fowl-footed  birds  have  the 
hind  toe  raised  above  the  ground,  differing  from  the  pigeon- 
footed  gallinaceous  birds,  that  have  four  toes  on  the  same  level; 

259 


Gallinaceous  Game  Birds 

and  the  grouse  have  feathered  legs,  like  many  birds  of  prey,  to 
keep  these  parts  from  being  frozen,  since  they  frequent  high 
altitudes.  None  of  these  American  species  is  migratory,  yet 
their  rapid,  whirring  flight,  performed  with  quick  strokes  of 
small,  concave,  stiffened  wings,  is  well  sustained,  and  sometimes 
for  long  distances.  The  heads  of  grouse  especially,  high  at  the 
rear  to  contain  the  unusually  developed  brain,  indicate  that  rare 
degree  of  intelligence  among  birds  which  so  taxes  the  wits  of 
the  sportsman;  but  certainly  the  Bob  White  is  not  lacking  in 
mental  calibre.  The  latter  birds  are  devoted  lovers  and  parents, 
whereas  grouse  are  generally  polygamous,  and  the  males  are 
either  indifferent  to  the  eggs  and  young,  or,  in  some  cases,  de- 
structive of  them.  Mr.  D.  G.  Elliot  remarks:  "It  is  a  rather 
singular  fact  that  in  most  polygamous  species  the  plumage  of  the 
sexes  is  very  dissimilar,  while  there  is  usually  but  little  difference 
observable  between  those- that  are  monogamous." 

Bob  White,  or  Quail. 

Dusky,  or  Blue  Grouse. 

Canada  Grouse,  or  Spruce  Partridge. 

Ruffed  Grouse,  or  Partridge. 

Canadian  Ruffed  Grouse. 

Gray  Ruffed  Grouse. 

Oregon,  or  Red  Ruffed  Grouse. 

Prairie  Chicken,  or  Pinnated  Grouse. 

Prairie  Sharp-tailed  Grouse. 

Columbian  Sharp-tailed  Grouse. 

Sharp-tailed  Grouse. 

Sage  Grouse,  or  Cock  of  the  Plains. 


Turkeys 

(Family  Pbasianidce) 

A  group  of  magnificent  birds,  including  the  peacock, 
pheasants,  and  the  jungle  fowl,  the  progenitors  of  our  domestic 
poultry.  From  the  Mexican  turkey,  now  imported  all  over  the 
world,  and  into  France  and  England  since  the  sixteenth  century, 
came  the  race  that  furnishes  our  Thanksgiving  feasts. 
Wild  Turkey. 


260 


BOB  WHITES,   GROUSE,   ETC. 

(Family  Tetraonidce) 

Bob  White 

(Colinus  -virginianus) 

Called  also:   QUAIL;  PARTRIDGE;  VIRGINIA  PARTRIDGE 

Length— 9.5010  1 0.50  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  reddish  brown  or  chestnut,  flecked 
with  black,  white,  and  tawny;  rump  grayish  brown,  finely 
mottled,  and  with  a  few  streaks  of  blackish ;  tail  ashy,  the 
inner  feathers  mottled  with  buff;  front  of  cro^wn,  a  line  from 
bill  beneath  the  eye,  and  band  on  upper  breast,  black;  fore- 
head, and  stripe  over  the  eye,  extending  down  the  side  of  the 
neck,  white;  breast  and  under  parts  white  or  buff,  crossed 
with  irregular  narrow  black  lines;  feathers  on  sides  and 
flanks  chestnut,  with  white  edges  barred  with  black.  The 
female  has  forehead,  line  over  the  eye,  and  throat,  buff,  and 
little  or  no  black  on  upper  breast.  Summer  birds  have 
blacker  crowns  and  paler  buff  markings.  Much  individual 
variation  in  plumage. 

Range — "  Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Ontario,  from  south- 
ern Maine  to  the  south  Atlantic  and  Gulf  states;  west  to  cen- 
tral South  Dakota,  Nebraska;  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  eastern 
Texas.  Of  late  years  has  gradually  extended  its  range  west- 
ward along  lines  of  railroad  and  settlements;  also  introduced 
at  various  points  in  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  Utah,  Idaho, 
California,  Oregon,  and  Washington.  Breeds  throughout 
its  range."  A.  p.  U. 

Season— Permanent  resident. 

Endless  confusion  has  arisen  through  the  incorrect  local 
names  given  to  the  Bob  White,  which  in  New  England  is  called 
quail  wherever  the  ruffed  grouse  is  called  partridge,  and  called 
partridge  in  the  middle  and  southern  states  wherever  the  ruffed 
grouse  is  called  pheasant;  but  true  partridges  and  quail,  quite 

261 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

different  in  habits  and  appearance  from  ours,  are  confined  to  the 
Old  World,  however  firmly  their  names  cling  to  the  American 
species.  That  which  we  call  a  quail,  by  any  other  name  would 
taste  as  sweet;  and  it  is  surely  time  the  characteristic  game  bird  of 
this  country  received  in  all  sections  its  characteristic,  distinctive 
title.  Bob  White,  the  name  it  calls  itself,  also  has  the  sanction 
of  that  dignified,  conservative  body,  the  American  Ornithologists' 
Union,  than  which  can  there  be  two  higher  authorities  ? 

Before  the  snow  and  ice  have  been  melted  by  spring  sun- 
shine, Bob  White  !  ah,  Bob  White  !  a  clear  staccato  whistle,  rings 
out  from  some  plump  little  feathered  breast  swelling  with  tender 
and  sincere  emotions.  Mates  are  not  easily  won :  sharp  contests  of 
rival  males,  that  fight  desperately,  like  game  cocks,  occur  through- 
out the  pairing  season;  the  demure,  coy  little  sweetheart,  con- 
cealing her  admiration  for  the  proud  victor  strutting  before  her, 
only  fans  his  flame  by  her  feigned  indifference.  In  vain  he  jumps 
upon  a  stump  and,  like  a  ruffled  orator,  repeats  his  protestations. 
He  runs  beside  her,  now  bowing,  now  crossing  her  path,  ardently 
entreating  some  sign  that  his  handsome  feathers,  his  gallantry, 
his  musical  voice,  his  sworn  devotion  to  her,  have  made  an  im- 
pression ;  but  the  shy  little  lady,  appearing  to  be  frightened  by 
such  ardor,  discreetly  withdraws,  knowing  perfectly  well,  as 
every  coquette  must,  that  such  coyness  never  discourages  a  suitor 
worth  the  having.  Marriage  is  not  entered  into  lightly  or  irrev- 
erently by  these  monogamous  birds,  unlike  their  European  Mor- 
mon kin  that  utterly  lack  the  gallantry  and  affectionate  nature 
characteristic  of  the  American  bird.  It  is  a  slander  to  call  Bob 
White  by  the  name  of  the  disreputable,  pugnacious,  selfish,  mean- 
looking  quail.  Rarely,  indeed,  does  he  lapse  from  rectitude  and 
take  a  second  mate. 

In  May,  a  simple  nest,  or  slight  depression  in  the  ground, 
lined  with  leaves  and  grasses,  is  formed  sometimes  in  the  stub- 
ble, in  a  grassy  tussock  that  meets  overhead,  and  must  be  entered 
from  one  side;  or  beneath  a  small  bush,  next  a  worm-eaten  old 
log,  at  the  foot  of  a  stump;  or  in  the  cotton  rows — anywhere,  in 
fact,  where  seclusion  favors.  Some  nests  have  been  found  with 
well  constructed  domes,  and  the  entrance  a  foot  or  more  from  the 
nest  proper.  Incredibly  large  numbers  of  brilliant  white  eggs — 
as  many  as  thirty-two — are  reported  in  a  single  nest,  all  skilfully 
packed  in,  pointed  end  downwards  to  economize  space.  Does 

262 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

the  amiability  of  the  female  extend  to  sharing  her  nest  with  a 
rival,  or  are  all  these  eggs  hers  ?  Remove  an  egg,  and  it  is  im- 
possible for  the  human  hand  to  rearrange  the  clutch  with  such 
faultless  economy.  In  the  middle  and  southern  states,  where  two 
and  even  three  broods  have  been  reared  in  a  season,  the  number 
of  eggs  laid  at  a  time  rarely  exceeds  ten,  so  that  the  autumn 
coveys  there  are  no  larger  than  those  in  the  north.  Both  parents 
take  turns  in  covering  the  eggs,  the  male  encouraging  his  brood- 
ing mate  by  cheerful,  musical  whistles  introduced  by  a  half-sup- 
pressed syllable,  that  the  New  Englanders  translate  into  No  more 
wet!  more  wet!  or  Pease  most  ripe!  most  ripe!  and  the  West- 
ern farmers  into  Sow  more  wheat!  more  wheat!  A  shrill  wee- 
teeh,  used  as  a  note  of  warning ;  quoi-hee,  quoi-hee,  to  reassemble 
a  scattered  covey;  a  subdued  clucking  when  undisturbed,  and  a 
rapidly  repeated  twitter  when  surprised,  are  Bob  White's  vocal 
expressions.  One  feels  happier  for  having  heard  his  exuberant 
joy  and  pride  whistled  from  a  fence-rail  or  low  branch  of  a  tree. 
How  readily  he  answers  the  farmer's  boy  whistling  to  him  from 
the  plough  !  He  is  decidedly  in  evidence,  bold  and  fearless  during 
the  twenty-four  days  of  incubation ;  but  one  rarely  sees  the  female 
then.  She  is  ever  shy.  Ray,  the  English  naturalist,  says  the 
European  quail  hatches  one-third  more  males  than  females — a 
proportion  that  corresponds  with  the  numbers  generally  bagged 
by  our  gunners.  Should  the  eggs  be  handled  when  first  laid, 
the  nest  is  at  once  deserted.  Mowing  machines  work  sad  havoc 
every  year. 

Precisely  as  a  brood  of  chickens  follows  a  mother  hen  about 
the  farm,  so  a  bevy  of  comical  little  downy  Bob  Whites,  some- 
times with  the  shells  still  sticking  to  their  backs,  run  about 
through  the  tangled  brake  and  cultivated  fields,  learning  from  both 
devoted  parents  which  seeds  of  grasses,  cereals,  and  berries  they 
may  eat.  Farmers  bless  them  for  the  number  of  weed-seeds  and 
insects  they  destroy.  The  fox  and  the  hawk,  next  to  man,  are  their 
worst  enemies.  A  note  of  alarm  sends  the  fledgelings  half-running, 
half-flying,  to  huddle  up  close  to  the  mother;  or  when  a  cold  wind 
blows,  a  soft,  low,  caressing  twitter  summons  the  babies  to  shelter 
beneath  her  short  wings,  that  barely  cover  the  large  brood. 

Later,  the  young  scatter  and  hide  among  the  grass,  while 
the  parents,  feigning  lameness  and  the  usual  pathetic  artifices 
familiar  to  one  who  has  ever  disturbed  a  family  of  young  birds, 

263 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

dare  all  things  for  their  dear  sakes.  Should  some  accident  befall 
the  female  during  incubation,  the  male  faithfully  covers  the  eggs 
and  ministers  to  every  want  of  his  happily  precocious  family;  and 
in  the  south,  where  the  female  frequently  begins  to  lay  again 
when  her  first  brood  is  but  a  few  weeks  old,  it  is  the  father, 
a  pattern  of  all  domestic  virtues,  that  then  assumes  its  full 
care.  When  the  second  brood  leaves  the  shell,  one  large  happy 
family,  known  in  sportsman's  parlance  as  a  bevy  or  covey,  makes 
as  charming  a  picture  as  one  is  likely  to  meet  in  a  year's  tramp. 
Southern  sportsmen,  especially,  sometimes  express  surprise  at 
finding  birds  still  in  pin  feathers  and  unable  to  fly  in  November, 
when  part  of  the  brood,  at  least,  may  not  be  distinguished  from 
adults  ;  but  these  most  prolific  of  all  game  birds  not  infrequently 
devote  six  months  to  nursery  duties.  Bob  Whites  are  eminently 
affectionate,  and  a  covey  never  willingly  disperses  until  the  spring 
pairing  season. 

"  It  is  a  glorious  day  :  come,  let  us  kill  something  !  "  says 
London  Punch's  famous  sportsman  ;  and  when  the  splendor  of 
autumn  glorifies  our  fields  and  woods,  domed  by  a  sky  of  clear- 
est, most  intense  blue,  and  the  keen,  frosty,  sparkling  air  invigo- 
rates both  mind  and  body,  the  American  sportsman  likewise  takes 
down  his  light,  short  gun  and  some  shells  loaded  with  No.  8  shot, 
whistles  up  his  dog,  which  nearly  twists  himself  inside  out  with 
happiness,  and  at  sunrise  is  off.  Now  the  coveys  are  feeding  in 
the  field  of  buckwheat — a  favorite  resort — or  in  the  stubble  of  the 
corn,  rye,  or  oat  fields,  or  along  the  ditches  and  clearings  fringed 
with  undergrowth,  or  in  the  vineyard  or  orchard — just  where  it 
is  the  dog's  business,  not  the  author's,  to  disclose.  The  seed  of 
the  locust,  wild  pease,  tick,  trefoil,  sunflower,  smartweed,  par- 
tridge berry,  wintergreen  and  nanny  berries,  acorns,  and  beech- 
nuts do  not  complete  the  Bob  Whites'  menu.  Late  in  the  fore- 
noon, the  hearty  breakfast  having  at  length  ended,  a  bevy  of 
birds  will  first  slake  their  thirst  before  huddling  together  to 
preen  and  dust  their  feathers  and  enjoy  a  midday  siesta  on  a 
sunny  slope.  They  keep  near  water  during  droughts  ;  but  after 
long  rains,  look  for  them  on  the  dry  uplands  and  along  the  sun- 
niest coverts,  not  too  early  on  a  frosty  morning,  when  they  are 
likely  to  remain  huddled  together  late  to  keep  warm  until  the 
hoar  frost  melts  in  the  sunshine.  These  birds  have  a  unique 
manner  of  sleeping  :  forming  a  circle  on  the  ground,  in  a  sheltered 

264 


• 


GOOD  QUAIL  COUNTRY. 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

open,  beyond  thickets  where  prowling  fox  and  weasel  lurk,  they 
squat  close  together  as  they  can  huddle  to  save  heat,  and  with 
their  tails  toward  the  centre,  and  their  heads  pointing  outward  to 
detect  danger  from  every  possible  direction,  rest  secure  through 
the  night  and  sometimes  part  of  cold  and  stormy  days,  the  male 
parent  usually  remaining  outside  the  ring  to  act  as  sentinel.  As 
winter  approaches,  they  leave  the  open,  cultivated  fields  to  with- 
draw into  sheltered  thickets  and  bottom  lands,  sometimes  to  alder 
swamps.  Now,  when  hunger  often  pinches  cruelly,  the  food 
scattered  for  barnyard  fowls  is  fearlessly  picked  up  ;  indeed,  these 
birds  haunt  the  outskirts  of  farms  at  all  seasons,  following  the 
pioneer  and  railroad  westward,  and  ever  going  more  than  half 
way  in  establishing  friendly  relations  between  themselves  and 
mankind.  While  all  efforts  to  domesticate  them  have  ended  in 
runaways  when  the  nesting  season  came  around  and  wild  birds 
whistled  enticing  notes  of  happiness  and  freedom,  protection 
from  the  shooters,  and  a  few  handfuls  of  buckwheat  scattered 
about  for  them  in  the  bitter  weather  are  all  the  encouragement 
these  appreciative  little  neighbors  need  to  keep  them  about  the 
farm.  Like  the  ruffed  grouse  they  will  allow  the  snow  to  bury 
them,  or  voluntarily  bury  themselves  in  it  to  escape  extreme 
cold  ;  but  an  ice  crust  forming  over  a  sleeping  covey  often  im- 
prisons it,  alas  !  and  not  until  a  thaw  is  the  tragedy  revealed  in  a 
circle  of  feathered  skeletons. 

A  loud  tuhir-r-r-r-r-r-r ,  as  a  flushed  flock  rises  to  wing, 
indicates  something  of  the  speed  at  which  the  Bob  Whites  rush 
through  the  air.  They  are  not  migratory,  usually  remaining 
resident  wherever  found,  although  from  the  northern  boundary 
of  their  range  coveys  seen  travelling  afoot  in  autumn  certainly 
appear  to  be  going  toward  warmer  winter  quarters.  Rising  at  a 
considerable  angle  from  the  ground,  on  stiff,  set,  short  wings,  after 
a  flushing,  the  birds,  heading  for  a  wooded  cover,  are  off  in  a 
strung  out  line  that  only  the  tyro  imagines  makes  an  easy  target. 
Suddenly  dropping  all  at  once  and  not  far  from  each  other, 
squatting  close,  in  the  confidence  inspired  by  the  perfect  mimicry 
of  their  plumage  with  their  surroundings,  each  bird  must  be 
almost  trodden  upon  before  it  will  rise  to  wing.  Very  rarely  they 
take  refuge  in  trees.  It  has  been  said  a  Bob  White  can  retain  its 
odor  voluntarily,  since  the  best  of  pointers  often  fails  to  find  it  even 
when  within  a  few  feet.  When  lying  close,  the  wings  are  pressed 

265 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

against  the  side,  every  feather  clings  tightly  with  a  tension  pro- 
duced by  fear,  in  all  probability,  rather  than  by  any  voluntary 
act ;  but  the  result  is  that  by  flying  upward,  rather  than  running 
and  giving  the  scent  to  the  dogs,  and  by  compressing  its  feathers  on 
dropping  to  the  ground  again,  brave  little  Bob  White  often  gives 
the  sportsman  a  lively  chase  for  his  game.  After  much  shooting, 
birds  become  "  educated."  Wonderfully  clever  they  are  in  match- 
ing the  sportsman's  tricks  with  better  ones.  They  school  the  wing 
shots  finely  until  the  crack  marksman  confesses  his  chagrin. 
The  best  trained  dog  may  bushwhack  an  entire  slope,  where  they 
are  known  to  be  scattered,  without  flushing  one  ;  for  vainly  does 
the  dog  draw  now.  His  usefulness  was  greatest  in  standing  a 
covey  before  the  reports  from  the  gun  gave  fair  warning  that  no 
one-sided  sport  had  begun. 

Once  the  firing  ceases,  sweet  minor  scatter  calls — quoi-hee, 
quoi-hee— reunite  the  diminished  members  of  a  flock.  A  soli- 
tary survivor  has  been  known  to  wander  about  the  country 
through  an  entire  winter,  calling  mournfully  and  almost  inces- 
santly for  the  missing  brothers  and  sisters,  until  a  farmer,  whose 
family  had  feasted  on  their  delicate  white  flesh,  unable  to  listen 
-to  the  cry  that  sounded  to  him  like  the  voice  of  an  accusing  con- 
science, again  picked  up  his  gun  and  put  the  mourner  out  of 
misery. 

Among  the  thousands  upon  thousands  of  "quail"  shot 
annually,  some  sportsman  finds  either  an  albino  or  some  other 
freak  wearing  plumage  that  he  is  certain  belongs  to  a  distinct 
species;  but  the  Texan  and  the  Florida  birds  alone  are  true,  but 
merely  climatic,  variations  of  our  own  Bob  White.  The  former  is 
distinguished  by  its  paler,  more  grayish  tone  of  the  upper  parts, 
that  are  marked  with  tawny,  while  the  Florida  bird  has  darker, 
richer  coloring,  with  heavier  black  markings,  and  a  longer,  jet 
black  bill. 

Several  allied  "quail"  (partridges)  are  of  too  local  a  distribu- 
tion on  the  Pacific  slope  and  in  the  southwest  to  be  included  in  a 
book  that  avowedly  excludes  "local  and  rare  birds."  Wherever 
the  prolific  Bob  Whites  have  been  introduced  and  protected  in  the 
west,  they  have  so  quickly  spread  as  to  encourage  the  hope  that 
since  true  sportsmen  everywhere  are  taking  active  measures  to 
stay  the  hand  of  bird  butchers,  our  national  game  bird  may  some 
day  regain  the  vast  numbers  brutally  destroyed. 

266 


ft* 


DUSKY  GROUSE  ON  NEST. 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 


Dusky  Grouse 

(Dendragapus  obscurusj 


Called  also:  BLUE,    GRAY,  MOUNTAIN,  PINE,  AND   FOOL 
GROUSE;  PINE  HEN 

Length— 20  to  24  inches ;  length  variable. 

Male — Upper  parts  blackish  brown,  finely  zigzagged  with 
slatey  gray  mixed  with  lighter  brown,  and  sometimes 
coarsely  mottled  with  gray,  especially  on  wings;  forehead 
dull  reddish  brown;  back  of  head  blackish,  the  feathers 
tipped  with  rusty;  sides  of  head  black;  shoulders  streaked 
with  white;  long  feathers  on  sides  have  white  ends  and 
shaft  stripes;  throat  white,  finely  speckled  with  black;  under 
parts  bluish  gray  or  slate,  varied  with  white  on  flanks  and 
underneath.  Tail  rounded,  the  twenty  broad  feathers  black- 
ish-brown, marbled  with  gray,  and  broadly  banded  across 
end  with  slate  gray ;  legs  covered  to  toes  with  pale  brown 
feathers;  a  comb  over  eye;  bill  horn  color. 

Female — Smaller,  lighter,  more  mottled,  or  blotched  with  blackish 
and  tawny  or  buff,  the  feathers  generally  edged  with  white ; 
slate  gray  under  parts,  and  tail  broadly  banded  with  same; 
the  flanks  tipped  with  white  and  mottled  with  black  and 
buff. 

Range — Rocky  and  other  mountain  ranges  in  western  United 
States. 

Season — Permanent  resident. 

Two  variations  of  the  dusky  grouse,  known  as  Richardson's 
grouse  and  the  sooty  grouse — constantly  confused  in  reports — 
make  it  somewhat  difficult  to  define  the  exact  habitat  of  this 
splendid  game  bird,  so  well  known  in  one  form  or  another  by 
sportsmen  throughout  the  western  half  of  the  United  States,  from 
New  Mexico  to  Alaska  and  British  Columbia.  The  habits  of  all 
three  birds  being  practically  the  same,  their  plumage  differing 
chiefly  in  degrees  of  duskiness,  and  their  boundary  lines  con- 
stantly overlapping,  it  is  small  wonder  the  untrained  observer 
confuses  both  their  names  and  ranges.  The  Rocky  Mountains, 
from  central  Montana  and  southeastern  Idaho  to  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona,  eastward  to  the  Black  Hills,  South  Dakota,  and 
westward  to  East  Humboldt  Mountains,  Nevada,  is  the  range  set 
down  for  the  dusky  grouse  by  the  A.  O.  U.,  and  a  more  westerly 

267 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

district,  including  California,  for  the  sooty  grouse;  while  Richard- 
son's bird  confines  itself  chiefly  to  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Rockies.  The  latter  is  to  be  distinguished  by  its  rather  longer, 
square  tail,  with  broader  feathers,  only  slightly  banded  with  gray, 
if  at  all,  and  its  blacker  throat.  The  sooty  grouse,  even  darker 
still,  and  with  a  broad  band  on  its  tail,  is  minutely  freckled  with 
gray  and  rusty  on  its  upper  parts  and  very  dark  lead  color  below; 
the  hen  being  particularly  richly  marked  with  rusty  red  and  chest- 
nut brown. 

Taking  the  place  in  the  western  sportsman's  heart  of  the 
ruffed  grouse  cherished  in  New  England  and  the  middle  states, 
the  dusky  grouse,  very  like  it  in  some  habits  and  tastes,  is  a 
much  larger  bird,  covered  with  a  dense  suit  of  feathers  to 
resist  the  extreme  cold  of  high  altitudes,  and  weighing  between 
three  and  four  pounds.  Next  to  the  sage  cock,  this  is  the  largest 
grouse  in  the  United  States.  Possibly  because  it  is  so  cumbrous, 
but  more  likely  because  its  haunts  are  far  removed  from  men, 
keeping  it  in  ignorance,  far  from  blissful,  of  his  passion  for  hunt- 
ing birds,  this  long-suffering  recluse  appears  stupid  to  many. 
"Until  almost  fully  grown,"  says  a  Colorado  observer,  "they 
are  very  foolish ;  flushed,  they  will  tree  at  once,  in  the  silly 
belief  that  they  are  out  of  danger,  and  will  quietly  suffer  them- 
selves to  be  pelted  with  clubs  and  stones  until  they  are  struck 
down  one  after  another.  With  a  shot  gun,  of  course,  the  whole 
covey  is  bagged  without  much  trouble;  and  as  they  are,  in  my 
opinion,  the  most  delicious  of  all  grouse  for  the  table,  they  are 
gathered  up.  unsparingly."  When  carnage  like  this  masquerades 
under  the  title  of  "sport,"  evidently  the  extinction  of  the  blue 
grouse,  like  that  of  many  another  choice  game  bird,  is  imminent. 
From  an  altitude  of  about  seven  thousand  feet  to  timber  line, 
coming  down  to  the  side  hills  and  lower  gulches,  where  food  is 
more  abundant  for  young  broods  in  summer,  the  dusky  grouse 
usually  haunts  rough  slopes  covered  with  dense  forests  of  spruce 
and  pine,  and  neither  migrates  nor  strays  far  from  its  birthplace, 
though  constantly  roving.  Solitary  for  part  of  the  year,  or  found 
in  small  parties  of  three  or  four  adults  at  most,  it  is  chiefly  while 
the  young  are  partly  dependent  on  the  mother — for  the  male  is 
an  indifferent  father — that  one  meets  a  covey  of  from  seven  to 
ten  feeding  on  bearberries,  raspberries,  and  other  wild  fruits, 
insects,  especially  grasshoppers,  tender  leaves,  and  leaf  buds, 

268 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

reserving  the  buds  of  the  pine  and  the  scales  or  seeds  of  its  cones 
for  winter  fare,  when  nearly  all  other  food  is  buried  under  snow. 
Heavy  snowfalls  send  the  grouse  to  roost  in  the  evergreens,  their 
dusky  plumage,  that  blends  perfectly  with  the  sombre  coloring 
of  the  pines  as  they  squat  on  the  limbs,  making  them  all  but 
invisible.  Only  early  in  the  summer,  when  the  young  are  unable 
to  fly  into  the  branches,  do  these  tree-loving  mountaineers  roost 
on  the  ground.  Approach  a  covey  suddenly,  and  the  beautiful, 
downy,  nimble-footed  chicks,  that  are  by  no  means  fools,  scatter 
and  hide  among  the  bushes  and  under  leaves,  while  the  mother, 
flying  in  an  opposite  direction,  alights  in  a  tree,  quite  as  if  she 
had  no  family  to  be  looked  for;  so  why  waste  time  in  the  search 
.when  she  is  in  evidence  ?  Moving  her  head  from  side  to  side,  and 
looking  at  the  disturber  of  her  peace  with  first  one  eye,  then  the 
other,  she  will  remain  squatting  on  the  limb  just  overhead  with 
apparent  apathy,  or  what  passes  for  stupidity,  but  what  may  be 
the  most  intelligent  self-sacrifice  for  her  brood.  Molest  her,  and 
she  flies  away  very  rapidly  with  a  loud  cackle  of  alarm.  It  is  she 
that  forms  a  depression  in  the  ground,  near  an  old  log,  in  the 
underbrush,  or  in  the  stubble  of  an  open  field  just  as  likely,  but 
never  far  from  water,  after  pressing  down  some  fine  grass,  pine 
needles,  or  leaves  to  line  the  rude  cradle.  A  clutch  consists  of 
from  eight  to  ten  creamy,  buff  eggs,  dotted,  spotted,  and  some- 
times blotched  with  brown.  Confining  herself  very  closely  for 
three  weeks  or  longer,  she  at  length  leads  forth  a  brood  in  June  to 
call  it  by  clucks  and  otherwise  care  for  it  precisely  as  the  do- 
mestic hen  looks  after  her  chicks.  The  nesting  begins  about  the 
middle  of  May,  though  dates  differ  with  the  severity  of  the  season 
and  the  altitude.  Only  one  brood  is  raised  in  a  year. 

While  there  is  anything  like  work  connected  with  raising  a 
young  family  the  father  absents  himself,  to  rejoin  it  only  when 
the  covey  has  agreeable  society  to  offer  and  makes  no  demands. 
Yet  this  is  the  cock  that  in  the  mating  season  gave  himself  the 
airs  of  a  turkey  gobbler  as  he  strutted  along  the  mountain  road  in 
front  of  your  wagon,  tail  spread  to  its  fullest,  wings  dropped 
until  they  trailed  over  the  ground— a  picture  of  self-importance. 
This  is  the  season  when  he  woos  his  mate  with  booming  thunder 
on  a  small  scale,  which  passes  for  a  love  song.  A  small  sac  of 
loose,  orange-colored  skin,  surrounded  by  a  white  frill  of  feathers 
edged  with  dusky,  at  either  side  of  the  neck,  may  now  b« 

269 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

inflated  at  will;  and  as  the  air  escapes,  a  strange  grumbling, 
groaning  sound  comes  forth,  seemingly  from  quite  a  distance, 
when  perhaps  very  near,  or,  at  least,  from  just  the  direction 
that  it  seems  not  to  come  from.  This  sound,  that  has  been  aptly 
likened  to  the  distant  laboring  of  a  "small  mountain  sawmill 
wrestling  in  agony  with  some  cross-grained  log,"  may  be  uttered 
from  a  stump  or  rock,  or  in  the  air  as  the  cock  flies  about  from 
limb  to  limb  of  the  evergreens.  When  disturbed,  he  has  the  habit 
of  erecting  the  feathers  on  the  back  of  his  neck,  a  feeble  showing 
as  compared  with  the  imposing  black  frill  of  the  ruffed  grouse. 


Canada  Grouse 

(Dendragapus  canadensis) 

Called  also:  SPRUCE,  WOOD,  AND  SPOTTED  GROUSE; 
BLACK,  SWAMP,  AND  SPRUCE  PARTRIDGE  ;  BLACK- 
SPOTTED  HEATH  COCK. 

Length — 14  to  15  inches. 

Male — Upper  parts  ashy  waved  with  black,  gray,  and  grayish- 
brown.  A  few  white  streaks  on  shoulders;  tail  black,  slightly 
rounded,  and  tipped  with  orange-brown ;  under  parts  black 
and  white,  the  black  throat  divided  from  the  black  breast  by 
a  mottled  black  and  white  and  ashy  circular  band;  flanks 
pale  brown,  mottled  or  lined  across  with  black;  legs  feath- 
ered to  toes;  bill  black;  a  yellow  or  reddish  comb  over  eye. 

Female — Upper  parts  barred  with  black,  gray,  and  buff,  or  pale 
rufous,  the  black  predominating,  except  on  grayish  lower 
back;  tail  black,  mottled  and  more  narrowly  tipped  with 
orange  brown  than  male's;  under  parts  tawny  barred  with 
black;  sides  mottled  with  black  and  tawny;  below  black, 
the  feathers  broadly  tipped  with  white. 

Range — From  northern  New  England,  New  York,  Michigan, 
and  Minnesota,  westward  to  Alaska,  and  north  so  far  as 
trees  grow. 

Season — Permanent  resident;  not  a  migrant,  although  a  rover. 

Only  along  the  northern  boundary  of  the  United  States  may 
one  hope  to  meet  this  small,  hardy  grouse  walking  about  with 
the  nimble  steps  of  a  Bob  White,  over  the  mossy  bogs,  in  groves 
of  evergreens  and  thickets  of  hackmatack — everywhere  its  favorite 
haunt;  but  in  Canada  it  becomes  increasingly  abundant,  and  the 

270 


/» 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

habitants  and  voyageurs  who  penetrate  the  dark,  swampy  forests 
far  to  the  north  know  it  with  that  degree  of  intimacy  which — per- 
haps because  it  furnishes  the  most  interesting  stories,  that  are  at 
once  the  admiration  and  the  despair  of  city-bred  ornithologists — 
is  discredited  by  them  as  ''unscientific."  There  is  a  French 
Canadian,  a  native  of  the  Laurentian  Mountains,  whose  fleet 
ponies  take  many  Americans  to  the  Grand  Discharge  for  the  oua 
naniche  fishing,  who  will  lead  his  patrons  to  a  nest  beside  a 
fallen  log,  show  them  the  "drumming  trees"  where  the  cocks 
fly  down  and  captivate  their  mates  with  a  noise  resembling  dis- 
tant thunder,  point  out  a  dusky  figure  in  the  sombre  evergreens 
that  no  untrained  eye  could  find  as  the  buckboard  rattles  swiftly 
over  the  corduroy  road,  and  at  the  camp-fire  needs  little  persuasion 
to  tell  more  about  the  Canada  grouse  than  can  be  learned  in  the 
books. 

Very  early  in  spring  the  cocks  begin  to  strut  and  give  them- 
selves grand  airs.  At  this  season  especially,  although  the  birds 
are  never  shy,  the  male  exposes  himself  before  an  admiring  ob- 
server with  amusing  abandon.  With  tail  well  up,  and  contracted 
and  expanded  at  each  step  until  the  quills  rustle  like  silk;  with 
drooped  wings,  head  erect,  the  black  and  white  breast  feathers 
standing  out  in  regular  rows,  and  those  in  the  back  of  the  neck 
correspondingly  depressed ;  the  combs  over  each  eye  enlarged  at 
will  and  glowing  red — a  miniature  impersonation  of  self-conceit 
struts  through  the  forest,  across  one's  path,  flies  into  a  low  limb 
to  attract  more  attention  to  his  handsome  body,  and  has  been 
known  to  alight  on  a  man's  shoulder  and  thump  his  collar! 
Ordinarily  he  thumps  any  hard  substance  with  his  bill.  Some- 
times, with  plumage  arranged  as  above  described,  he  will  sit  with 
his  breast  almost  touching  the  earth  and  make  peculiar  nodding, 
circular  motions  of  the  head.  To  drum,  he  chooses  some  favorite 
tree  inclined  away  from  the  perpendicular,  and,  commencing  at 
the  base,  flutters  slowly  upward,  very  rapidly  beating  his  wings 
to  make  the  rumbling  noise.  Then,  having  ascended  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet,  he  glides  quietly  to  the  ground,  struts,  and  repeats  the 
noisy  ascent.  A  good  "drumming tree,"  well  known  to  woods- 
men, often  has  its  bark  worn  by  the  small  thunderers.  Apparently 
there  are  many  more  cocks  than  hens  in  every  tamarack  swamp. 

Mr.  Watson  Bishop,  of  Nova  Scotia,  who  succeeded  in 
domesticating  this  grouse,  tells  many  interesting  fresh  facts 

271 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

about  it.  A  sitting  hen,  after  scratching  a  depression  in  the 
ground,  first  lays  three  or  four  eggs  before  placing  any  nesting 
material  in  the  cavity;  then  she  has  the  absurd  habit  of  picking 
up  straws,  leaves,  etc.,  as  she  leaves  the  nest,  and  tossing  them 
backward  over  her  head,  to  land  perhaps  on  the  nest,  or  perhaps 
just  in  the  opposite  direction  if  she  has  faced  about  with  head 
toward  the  eggs  to  secure  some  inviting  material.  When  a  quan- 
tity of  litter  has  been  collected,  she  will  then  sit  on  the  eggs,  reach 
out  to  gather  it  in  and  place  it  about  her  until  the  cradle  is  very 
deep  and  nicely  bordered  with  grass  and  leaves.  Jealousy,  a  ruling 
passion  with  hens  at  the  nesting  season,  often  leads  them  to 
steal  one  another's  eggs.  One  nest  should  properly  contain  about 
a  dozen,  more  or  less,  the  ground  color  buff  or  pale  brown,  the 
spots  and  speckles  reddish  brown  or  umber  ;  but  so  great  is  the 
variation  of  color  and  markings  that  some  eggs  have  no  markings 
at  all,  while  others  are  beautifully  and  clearly  decorated.  It  is 
possible  to  rub  or  wash  off  markings  from  many  fresh-laid  eggs. 
Laying  commences  about  the  first  week  of  June  ;  incubation  lasts 
seventeen  days,  and  by  the  middle  of  July  the  precocious  chicks 
are  able  to  reach  the  low  branches  of  the  evergreens  in  their  first 
flights  and  move  about  on  them  like  the  adults  that  would  make 
expert  tight-rope  walkers.  Tender  terminal  spruce  buds,  hack- 
matack needles,  the  berries  of  Solomon's  seal,  pine  needles  and 
cones,  and  such  fare  give  this  grouse's  flesh  a  dark  color  and  a 
bitter,  resinous  flavor  that  tempts  only  the  hungriest  woodsmen  ; 
although  in  the  berry  season,  when  the  birds  leave  the  evergreens 
to  feed  on  tender  leaf  buds  and  fruit,  the  rich  reddish  meat  is 
much  sought.  An  immense  quantity  of  gravel  is  swallowed  to 
aid  digestion.  Indians  tell  of  following  great  packs  of  these 
grouse  that  furnished  meat  to  a  tribe  for  weeks  ;  but  a  bevy  of 
five  or  six  birds  is  the  largest  recorded  by  scientists. 


Ruffed    Grouse 

CBonasa  umbellus) 

Called  also:  PARTRIDGE;  PHEASANT;   BIRCH    PARTRIDGE 

Length — 16  to  1 8  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  chestnut  varied  with  grayish  and 
yellowish  brown,  white,  and  black  ;  head-  slightly  crested  ; 
272 


RUFFED  GROUSE. 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

yellow  line  over  eye  ;  sides  of  neck  of  male  with  large  tufts 
of  glossy  greenish  black  feathers  tipped  with  light  brown, 
much  restricted  or  wanting  and  dull  in  female  ;  long  tail, 
which  may  be  spread  fan-like,  yellowish  brown  or  gray  or 
rusty,  beautifully  and  finely  barred  with  irregular  bands  half 
buff,  half  black  ;  a  broad  subterminal  band  of  black  between 
gray  bands  ;  throat  and  breast  buff,  the  former  unmarked  ; 
underneath  whitish,  all  barred  with  brown,  strongly  on 
sides,  less  distinctly  on  breast  and  below  ;  legs  feathered  to 
heel  ;  bill  horn  color. 

Range — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada  west  to 
Minnesota,  south  to  northern  Georgia,  Mississippi,  and  Ar- 
kansas. 

Season — Permanent  but  roving  resident. 

Neither  a  "partridge "  nor  a  " pheasant,"  it  is  by  the  former 
name  that  this  superb  game  bird  is  best  known  to  the  New 
Englanders,  and  by  the  latter  that  it  is  commonly  called  in  the 
middle  and  southern  states;  but  this  most  typical  grouse  (whose 
Latin  name  describes  two  striking  characteristics  :  Bonasus,  a 
bison,  referring  to  the  bellowing  bull-like  noise  produced  by  the 
male ;  and  umbellus,  to  the  umbrella-like  tufts  on  his  neck)  ap- 
pears in  literature  and  the  market  stalls  alike  as  a  "  partridge,"  a 
misnomer  shared  by  the  Bob  White,  which  strictly  belongs  to  a 
race  of  European  birds  of  which  we  have  no  counterparts  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  What's  in  a  name  ?  That  which  we 
call  a  grouse  by  any  other  name  doth  taste  as  sweet. 

Partial  to  hill  country  interspersed  with  cultivated  meadows 
and  dingles,  or  to  mountains,  rocky,  inaccessible,  thickly  tim- 
bered, and  well  watered  with  bush-grown  streams,  it  is  only 
rarely,  and  then  chiefly  in  autumn,  that  coveys  leave  high  alti- 
tudes to  feed  along  the  edges  of  milder  valleys  and  enter  the 
swamps.  The  dainties  preferred  include  crickets,  grasshoppers, 
the  larvae  of  caterpillars,  beechnuts,  chestnuts,  acorns  of  the 
chestnut  oak  and  the  white  oak,  strawberries,  blueberries,  rasp- 
berries, elderberries,  wintergreen  and  partridge  berries  with  their 
foliage,  cranberries,  the  bright  fruit  of  the  black  alder  and  dog- 
wood, sumach  berries  (including  the  poisonous  varieties,  which 
do  the  grouse  no  injury),  wild  grapes,  grain  dropped  in  the  stubble 
of  harvested  fields,  the  foliage  of  many  plants,  and  the  leaf  buds 
of  numerous  shrubs  and  trees — a  varied  menu  indeed,  responsible 
alike  for  the  bird's  luscious,  tender  flesh  and  its  roving  disposition. 

273 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

The  "drumming"  of  a  male  ruffed  grouse,  its  most  famous 
characteristic,  is  surely  as  remarkable  a  bird  call  as  is  heard  in  all 
nature.  A  thumping,  rolling  tattoo,  like  the  deep,  muffled  beat- 
ing of  a  drum,  sonorous,  crepitating,  ventriloqual,  admirably 

written  down  by  Mr.  Ernest  Seton  Thompson,  thump thump 

thump — thump,  thump;  thump,  thump-rup,  rup,  rup,  r-r-r- 

r-r-r-r-r-r,  announces  the  presence  of  a  cock  hopeful  of  attracting 
the  attention  of  some  shy  female  hidden  in  the  underbrush.  Any 
one  will  do,  for  he  is  a  sadly  erring  mate,  a  flagrant  polygamist, 
in  spite  of  much  that  has  been  said  to  whiten  his  character.  On 
a  fallen  log,  a  wall,  or  broad  stump  that  has  been  used  as  a  drum- 
ming ground  perhaps  for  many  years,  and  well  known  to  the 
hens  as  a  trysting  place,  the  male  puffs  out  his  feathers  until, 
like  a  turkey  cock,  he  looks  twice  his  natural  size,  ruffs  his  neck 
frills,  raises  his  crest,  spreads  and  elevates  his  tail,  droops  his 
trailing  wings  beside  him,  and,  with  head  drawn  backward,  struts 
along  the  surface  with  the  most  affected  jerking,  dandified  gait. 
Suddenly  he  halts,  distends  his  head  and  neck,  and  beats  the  air 
with  his  wings,  slowly  at  first,  then  faster  and  faster,  until  there 
is  simply  a  blur  where  wings  should  be,  so  marvelously  fast  do 
they  go.  Because  they  vibrate  at  a  speed  at  which  the  human 
eye  can  scarcely  follow,  the  method  of  drumming  is  a  vexed 
question  among  the  most  reliable  observers.  Thoreau  was  ready 
to  swear  that  he  had  seen  the  ruffed  grouse  strike  its  wings  to- 
gether behind  its  back  to  produce  the  sound,  Audubon  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding.  Most  woodsmen  will  tell  you  either 
that  the  male  strikes  the  log  on  which  he  is  standing,  or  the  sides 
of  his  body;  but  the  strongest  scientific  judgment  now  favors 
the  abundant  testimony  that  the  bird  beats  nothing  but  the  air; 
its  wings  neither  meet  behind  the  back,  nor  do  they  touch  its 
sides,  nor  strike  against  any  substance  whatsoever.  The  drum- 
ming may  occur  at  any  season,  most  frequently  and  vigorously 
at  nesting  time,  of  course;  but  besides  being  a  love  "song,"  it  is 
doubtless  also  a  challenge  to  rival  cocks,  that  fight  like  gamesters 
until  blood  and  feathers  strew  the  ground;  or  it  may  be  simply 
an  outlet  to  the  bird's  inordinate  vanity  and  vigorous  animal 
spirits.  In  a  lesser  degree  the  sound  is  precisely  the  same  as 
when  the  grouse  begins  its  flight. 

Quite  ignored  by  her  lover  when  maternal  duties  approach, 
the  female  scratches  a  slight  hollow  in  some  secluded  place,  usu- 

274 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

ally  at  the  foot  of  an  old  stump  or  log  or  rock,  often  near  a 
stream  among  the  underbrush ;  but  many  nests  in  unprotected 
open  stretches  are  recorded.  A  few  wisps  of  dry  grass,  dead 
leaves,  pine  needles,  or  any  convenient  material,  line  the  hollow 
in  which  a  full  set  of  eggs — from  ten  to  fifteen  rich  buff,  dotted 
with  different  sized  spots  of  pale  chestnut  brown — has  been  found 
as  early  as  April  first,  a  full  month  earlier  than  the  regular  time. 
Since  the  markings  can  be  easily  rubbed  off  a  fresh  laid  egg,  one 
sometimes  hears  that  the  grouse's  egg  is  plain  buff.  Only  one 
brood  is  raised  in  a  season,  the  exceptions  to  the  rule  being  very 
rare.  For  nearly  four  weeks  the  hen  closely  confines  herself, 
and,  like  the  sitting  Bob  White,  relies  upon  her  plumage's  perfect 
mimicry  of  her  surroundings  to  protect  her  from  notice.  The 
coloring  of  a  ruffed  grouse  tells  of  a  long  ancestry  passed  under 
deciduous  trees.  Seated  among  last  year's  leaves  she  looks  all 
of  a  piece  with  the  carpeting  of  the  woods,  and  neither  stirs  a 
feather  nor  winks  an  eye,  though  you  stand  within  two  feet  of 
her,  to  lead  you  to  think  otherwise.  Mr.  D.  G.  Elliot,  among 
others,  believes  she  hides  her  nest  from  the  male  as  well  as  from 
all  her  other  enemies.  The  fox,  weasel,  squirrel,  hawk,  owl, 
and  above  all  the  breech-loader,  are  the  grouse's  deadliest  foes; 
and  a  species  of  woodtick  that  inserts  its  triangular  head  beneath 
the  skin,  sometimes  destroying  entire  broods.  Bird  lice,  and  a 
botworm  that  resembles  a  maggot  and  penetrates  the  flesh,  like- 
wise prove  fatal,  particularly  to  chicks.  The  dust  baths  commonly 
indulged  in  are  taken  to  rid  themselves  of  vermin.  Heavy  rains 
that  drench  the  fledgelings  not  infrequently  kill  them,  too,  until 
one  wonders  there  are  any  ruffed  grouse  left.  The  precocious, 
downy  brown  balls,  that  run  at  once  from  the  shell,  are  managed 
precisely  as  a  domestic  hen  cares  for  her  brood,  even  to  the 
clucking,  hen-like  call  that  summons  them  beneath  her  wings, 
where  they  sleep  until  old  enough  to  roost  in  trees  like  adults. 
The  mother  grouse  when  suddenly  startled  gives  a  shrill  squeal, 
apparently  the  signal  for  the  covey  to  scatter  and  hide  among  the 
leaves  and  tangle,  while,  by  feigning  lameness  and  other  hack- 
neyed devices  for  diverting  an  intruder's  attention  from  the  chicks 
to  herself,  she  remains  in  their  neighborhood,  they  motionless  in 
their  hiding  places,  until  the  reassuring  cluck  calls  the  happy 
family  together  again.  When  the  young  need  no  further  care  in 
autumn,  the  males  selfishly  join  the  covey,  rarely  consisting  of 

275 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

more  than  six  or  eight  birds;  for,  unlike  the  pinnated  grouse, 
this  species  does  not  pack. 

"The  ruffed  grouse,  by  reason  of  its  sudden  bursts  from  cover, 
its  bold,  strong,  swift  flight,  the  rugged  nature  of  its  favorite 
cover,  its  proud,  erect  carriage,  its  handsome  garb  and  its  wide 
distribution  is  easily  the  king  of  American  game  birds,"  says  Mr. 
G.  O.  Shields,  "and  has  therefore  been  chosen  as  the  emblem 
of  the  League  of  American  Sportsmen." 

In  the  brisk,  golden  days  of  autumn  the  sportsman  finds 
sport  indeed  in  hunting  the  wily,  clever  grouse,  "educated"  by 
much  persecution  from  an  almost  tame  denizen  of  the  mountain 
farm  into  a  woodland  recluse  that  constantly  challenges  admira- 
tion for  its  cunning.  It  will  seldom  lie  well  to  a  dog,  but  sneaks 
away  so  swiftly  through  the  underbrush  that  either  the  dog  or 
its  master  usually  gets  left.  By  flying  low,  then  dropping  to  run 
again,  the  strong  scent  is  broken. 

Bob  Whites,  that  have  a  power  of  withholding  their  scent 
by  tightly  compressing  their  feathers — a  trick  not  known  to  the 
grouse  apparently — do  not  escape  detection  any  better  than  they. 
Many  skilled  sportsmen,  armed  with  the  most  approved  breech- 
loaders, and  aided  by  the  best  trained  dogs  that  bushwhack  a 
region  where  grouse  are  known  to  be  abundant,  return  home 
with  light  bags.  No  bird  that  flies,  unless  it  is  the  Jack  snipe,  is 
so  seldom  hit.  A  tremendous  whir-r-r-r  of  rapidly  beaten  wings 
startles  the  tyro  out  of  a  good  aim.  Unusually  strong  chest 
muscles  for  concentrated  but  limited  exertion,  and  especially  stiff 
wings,  enable  the  grouse  to  hurl  themselves  into  the  air  with  a 
thunderous  velocity ;  but,  like  all  their  allies,  they  can  steal  away 
as  silently  as  Arabs,  if  necessary.  Darting  away  directly  opposite 
from  the  sportsman,  a  well  "educated  "  bird  quickly  places  a  tree 
between  itself  and  the  shooter,  threading  a  tortuous  maze  in 
and  out  through  the  woods,  higher  and  higher,  until,  having 
cleared  the  tree  tops,  it  is  off  to  freedom.  Fear,  not  a  natural,  but 
an  acquired  state  of  mind,  has  not  yet  blasted  the  peace  of  grouse 
in  regions  where  they  have  never  been  molested;  and  knowing 
no  worse  enemy  there  than  a  fox,  from  which  they  are  safe  when 
roosting  in  a  tree,  and  mistaking  the  sportsman's  clog  for  one, 
they  have  been  sometimes  credited  with  stupidity  because  by 
remaining  on  the  perch  they  allow  a  man  to  rake  the  covey. 
But  such  assault  and  battery  is  happily  rare.  Certain  hawks  and 

276 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

owls  do  awful  execution.  Snares  of  silk  and  horsehair,  poacher's 
traps,  and  "twitch-ups"  of  young  saplings  bent  by  the  farmer's 
boy,  do  much  to  spoil  the  sport,  that  becomes  shockingly  rarer 
year  by  year.  To  escape  pursuit  a  grouse  will  often  dive  into 
the  snow;  and  although  dense  feathers  cover  its  body  and  legs, 
it  will  make  a  similar  plunge  to  keep  warm  in  extremely  cold 
weather,  a  solitary  shiverer,  unlike  the  Bob  Whites,  that  bury 
themselves  in  cosy,  snug  family  parties;  but,  like  them,  it,  too, 
sometimes  gets  imprisoned  by  an  impenetrable  ice  crust,  and  so 
perishes  miserably. 

The  Canadian  Ruffed  Grouse  (Bonasa  umbellus  togata),  to  be 
distinguished  from  the  preceding  by  the  prevailing  gray,  instead 
of  chestnut,  of  its  upper  parts,  its  grayer  tail,  and  its  more  dis- 
tinctly barred  under  parts,  almost  as  clear  on  the  breast  and 
underneath  as  on  the  sides,  is  doubtless  simply  a  climatic  varia- 
tion, only  the  systematists  seeing  a  sufficient  difference  in  the 
two  birds  to  justify  their  separation  into  two  distinct  species. 
Their  habits  and  eggs  are  identical.  Often  no  difference  can  be 
detected  by  sportsmen  who  bring  home  both  species  in  their 
game  bags.  The  spruce  forests  of  northern  New  York  and  New 
England  and  the  British  provinces,  westward  to  Northern  Ore- 
gon, Idaho,  and  Washington  to  British  Columbia,  north  to  James 
Bay,  is  the  Canadian  ruffed  grouse's  range. 

The  Gray  Ruffed  Grouse  (Bonasa  umbellus  umbelloides),  a 
still  paler  variation,  in  which  the  gray  tints  predominate,  ranges 
from  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  of  the  United  States  and  British 
America  north  to  Alaska  and  east  to  Manitoba.  Considering  the 
altitudes  of  from  seven  to  ten  thousand  feet  at  which  it  usually 
lives,  the  lonelv  caftans  it  frequents,  and  its  rare  persecution  at 
the  hands  of  men,  it  is  surprisingly  shy,  according  to  Captain 
Bendire.  Otherwise  it  has  no  trait,  apparently,  not  already 
touched  upon  in  the  life  history  of  the  ruffed  grouse. 

The  Oregon,  or  Red  Ruffed  Grouse  (Bonasa  umbellus  sabini), 
the  darkest,  handsomest  variation  of  the  ruffed  grouse  anywhere 
found,  roams  over  the  coast  mountains  of  Northern  California, 
Oregon,  Washington,  and  British  Columbia,  reaching  Alaska  and 
many  of  the  Pacific  Coast  islands,  and  occasionally  straying  into 

277 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

Colorado,  Dakota,  Montana,  and  Idaho.  Where  the  Canadian 
variety  encroaches  its  territory,  however,  little  or  no  difference 
in  the  plumage  may  be  detected.  The  account  of  the  ruffed 
grouse's  habits,  nest,  etc.,  should  be  read  to  avoid  repetition, 
since  the  Oregon  bird  is  simply  a  climatic  variation  of  the  eastern 
species.  .Ae. 

Prairie   Chicken 

(Tympanucbus   americanus) 

Called  also:   PINNATED  GROUSE;  PRAIRIE   HEN 

Length — About  1 6  to  1 8  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  brown,  barred  with  black,  chest- 
nut, ochre,  and  whitish,  the  latter  chiefly  on  wings;  sides  of 
the  neck  tufted  with  ten  or  more  narrow,  stiff  feathers, 
rounded  at  end,  which  may  be  erected  like  conventional 
Cupid's  wings  above  the  head.  Their  color  black,  with  buff 
centres,  frequently  chestnut  on  inner  webs;  bare,  yellow, 
loose  skin  below  these  feathers  may  be  inflated  at  will;  the 
dusky,  brown,  white  tipped  tail  rounded,  the  inner  feathers 
somewhat  mottled  with  buff;  chin  and  throat  buff;  breast 
and  underneath  whitish,  evenly  barred  with  black.  Head 
slightly  crested;  legs  scantily  feathered  in  front  only.  Fe- 
male smaller,  the  neck  tufts  much  restricted,  no  inflated 
sacs  below  them ;  the  tail  feathers  with  numerous  distinct 
buff  bars. 

Range — "Prairies  of  the  Mississippi  Valley;  south  to  Louisiana 
and  Texas;  east  to  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Michigan  and 
Ontario;  west  through  eastern  portions  of  North  Dakota, 
South  Dakota,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  and  the  Indian  Territory; 
north  to  Manitoba;  general  tendency  to  extension  of  range 
westward  and  contraction  eastward;  migration  north  and 
south  in  Minnesota,  Iowa  and  Missouri." — A.  O.  U. 

Season — Permanent  resident;  only  locally  a  migrant  at  northern 
limit  of  range. 

Westward  the  prairie  chicken,  like  the  course  of  empire, 
takes  its  way;  for  although  it  may  increase  at  the  pioneer  stage  of 
civilization,  it  halts  at  the  introduction  of  the  steam  plough  and 
railroad,  to  disappear-forever  where  villages  run  together  into  cities. 
Doubtless  its  range  was  once  far  east — just  how  far  is  not  certain, 
since  the  early  writers  confused  it  with  the  heath  hen,  once 

278 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

enormously  abundant,  but  now  confined  to  Martha's  Vineyard, 
where  in  1890  there  were  about  one  hundred  of  the  birds  left,  and 
now,  for  the  want  of  sufficient  protection,  even  this  pitiful  rem- 
nant has  diminished  to  very  near  the  extinction  point.  So  it 
will  be  inevitably  with  the  prairie  chicken.  Modern  farming 
machines  destroy  thousands  of  eggs  and  young  annually  as  they 
steam  over  the  prairies;  in  the  small,  new  settlements  there  is 
little  respect  paid  to  game  laws  when  a  dull  monotony  of  salt 
pork  sets  up  a  craving  for  fresh  meat;  and  since  the  prairie 
chicken  has  strong  preferences  for  certain  habitats,  and  will  not  or 
cannot  live  in  others,  evidently  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when 
either  missionary  effort  on  behalf  of  this  and  many  other  birds 
must  be  vigorously  applied,  or  they  will  certainly  perish  from 
the  face  of  the  earth.  Since  the  coyote,  or  prairie  wolf,  which 
has  preyed  on  this  grouse,  is  being  killed  off,  and  sportsmen  are 
endeavoring  to  enforce  the  law  against  trapping  the  birds  in 
winter,  and  to  induce  farmers  to  burn  off  their  fields  in  autumn 
instead  of  in  May,  there  is  still  hope  that  its  extinction  may  be  at 
least  postponed. 

Early  in  the  morning  in  spring  the  booming  of  males  assem- 
bled on  the  "  scratching  ground  " — some  slight  elevation  of  the 
prairie — summons  the  hens  from  that  territory  to  witness  their 
extraordinary  performances  until  the  whole  region  reechoes 
with  the  soft  though  powerful  sound,  like  deep  tones  from  a 
church  organ — harmonious,  penetrating,  more  impressive  to  the 
human  listener  than  to  the  apparently  indifferent  females.  Inflat- 
ing the  loose  yellow  sacs  on  the  sides  of  their  head,  that  stand  out 
like  two  oranges;  erecting  and  throwing  forward  their  Cupid- 
like  feathers  at  the  back  of  the  neck;  ruffling  the  plumage  until  it 
stands  out  straight;  drooping  the  wings  and  spreading  the  erect 
tails,  the  males  present  an  imposing  picture  of  pompous  display 
and  magnificence  that  melts  not  the  flinty  hearts  of  the  coquetting 
spectators.  Now  the  proud  cock,  incited  to  nobler  deeds  by  the 
indifference  of  his  chosen  sweetheart,  rushes  madly  forward, 
letting  the  air  out  of  his  cheek  sacs  as  he  goes,  to  produce  the 
booming  noise,  repeating  the  rush  toward  her  and  the  boom  until 
she  gives  some  sign  that  his  mad  endeavors  to  win  her  awaken 
some  response  in  her  cold  little  heart.  Toward  the  end  of  court- 
ship she  moves  about  quickly  among  the  performers,  then  stands 
perfectly  still  for  a  time,  evidently  taking  note  of  the  fine  points 

279 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

of  the  numerous  lovers  that  embarrass  her  choice.  Shortly  after 
the  sun  rises,  the  circus  and  concert  end  for  the  day,  to  be 
repeated  the  next  morning,  and  the  next,  for  a  week  or  longer,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  the  inflamed  cocks  usually  fall  to  fighting, 
clawing  at  each  other  as  they  leap  into  the  air  and  scatter  blood 
and  feathers.  To  the  victor  belongs  the  sweetheart.  The  note 
of  the  male  bird  is  closely  imitated  by  many  farmers'  boys.  It 
may  be  written,  uck-ah-umb-boo-oo-oo-oo. 

It  must  be  owned  these  birds  show  no  great  intelligence  in 
the  selection  of  nesting  sites,  large  numbers  of  homes  placed  in  the 
short  grass  of  dry  localities  being  destroyed  by  prairie  fires  annu- 
ally, others  on  cultivated  lands  are  crushed  by  mowing  machines, 
and  those  built  along  the  marshes  or  sloughs  are  often  inundated 
in  a  wet  season.  A  slight  excavation,  sometimes  thickly,  but 
more  often  sparsely,  lined  with  grasses  and  feathers  plucked  from 
the  mother's  body,  receives  from  ten  to  twenty  eggs,  ranging 
from  cream  to  pale  brown,  regularly  marked  with  fine  red- 
dish brown  dots,  the  coloring  and  spotting  differing,  however, 
on  almost  every  egg  in  a  clutch.  It  is  the  female  that  bears  the 
entire  burden  of  incubation,  lasting  from  twenty-three  days  to 
four  weeks.  So  perfectly  does  her  plumage  mimic  her  surround- 
ings that  one  may  almost  step  on  a  nest  without  seeing  her. 
Like  all  her  tribe,  she  is  a  model  mother,  she  alone  caring  for 
the  downy  chicks,  leading  them  where  grasshoppers  and  other 
insect  fare  abounds,  and  protecting  them  with  courageous  and 
artful  tactics. 

The  young  are  marvelously  cunning  in  hiding  in  the  grass. 
Now  they  lie  very  close  to  a  dog,  and  since  their  flesh  is  white 
and  toothsome,  whereas  that  of  old  birds  is  dark  and  less 
esteemed,  they  fill  the  game  bags  after  the  fifteenth  of  August. 
Toward  the  end  of  summer,  when  there  is  no  nursery  work  left 
to  do,  the  selfish  father  joins  his  family;  other  families  join  his, 
or  pack,  until  in  regions  where  the  birds  have  not  been  perse- 
cuted several  scores  roam  over  the  prairie  together  to  feed  in  the 
grain  fields  and  on  small  berries  and  seeds.  Now  the  grouse 
become  wilder,  and,  except  when  gorged  to  indolence,  will  fly  a 
mile  or  more,  perhaps,  so  that  little  sport  can  be  had  with  them 
over  dogs. 

"The  true  manner  of  shooting  prairie  fowl,"  says  Mr. 
Charles  E.  Whitehead  in  "Sport  with  Rod  and  Gun,"  "is  to 

280 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

drive  over  the  prairie  in  a  light  wagon,  letting  the  dogs  range  far 
and  wide  on  either  side.  .  .  .  When  one  scents  the  birds  he 
will  come  to  a  point  suddenly  .  .  .  as  if  he  saw  a  ghost.  The 
wagon  drives  near  him,  the  other  dogs  coming  up  and  backing 
him.  The  sportsmen  then  alight  and  take  their  shots.  Rarely  the 
whole  covey  is  flushed  together,  and  frequently  the  old  birds  lie 
until  the  last,  and  while  the  sportsman  is  loading  his  gun  will 
dash  away  uttering  their  quick-repeated  cry  of  cluk-cluk-cluk- 
cluk,  and  looking  back  over  their  wings  at  the  sportsman 
who  marks  them  down  half  a  mile  away.  As  one  goes  to  retrieve 
the  dead  bird,  still  another  and  another  will  rise,  and  it  is  only 
until  one  has  been  carefully  over  the  field  that  he  feels  secure 
that  all  the  birds  are  up." 

Unlike  the  rest  of  their  kin,  the  prairie  chickens  can  fly  long 
distances,  though  not  with  such  concentrated  power  as  to  pro- 
duce the  thunder-like  roar  of  the  ruffed  grouse,  for  example. 
Their  flight  may  not  be  so  swift,  for  it  is  accomplished  with  less 
flapping  and  more  easy,  graceful  sailing.  They  migrate  regularly, 
or,  at  least,  the  females  do,  leaving  the  hardier  males  to  brave  the 
intense  cold  at  the  northern  limit  of  their  range.  In  November 
and  December  flocks  descend  from  northern  Iowa  and  Minnesota 
to  settle  for  the  winter  in  southern  Iowa  and  northern  Missouri, 
the  size  of  the  south  bound  flocks  being  influenced  by  the  severity 
of  the  cold,  just  as  the  return  of  the  migrants  in  March  and  April 
depends  upon  the  warmth  of  spring.  Most  of  the  pinnated 
grouse's  life  is  passed  on  the  fertile  open  prairies,  sleety  storms, 
high  winds,  and  deep  snow  alone  driving  a  pack  to  shelter  in 
timbered  lands. 


Prairie  Sharp-tailed   Grouse 

(Pedioccetes  phasianellus  campestris) 

Called  also:  PIN-TAILED  GROUSE;  SPECKLED  OR  WHITE 
BELLY;  WILLOW  GROUSE  ;  PRAIRIE  CHICKEN;  SPIKE- 
TAIL 

Length — 17.50  to  2O  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  yellowish  buff,  irregularly  barred 
and  blotched  with  black;  the  shoulders  streaked  and  the  tips 
of  wing  coverts  conspicuously  spotted  with  white;  crown 
281 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

and  back  of  neck  more  finely  barred  than  the  back;  no  neck 
tufts;  head  of  male  slightly  crested,  and  his  neck  has  con- 
cealed reddish  distensible  skin ;  space  in  front  of  and  below 
eye  buff,  like  the  throat;  breast  has  V-shaped  brownish 
marks;  sides  irregularly  barred  or  spotted  with  blackish 
or  buff ;  underneath,  including  wing  linings,  white.  Tail 
barred  with  black  and  buff,  the  central  feathers  longest,  but 
shorter  in  female  than  in  male;  legs  full  feathered  to  the  first 
joint  of  toes;  bill  horn  color.  Female  smaller. 

Range — Plains  and  prairies  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  north  to 
Manitoba,  east  to  Wisconsin  and  Illinois,  and  south  to  New 
Mexico. 

Season — Permanent  resident,  or  partially  migratory  in  cold 
weather. 

Three  variations  of  one  species  of  sharp-tailed  grouse  greatly 
extend  its  range  until  in  one  form  or  another  it  has  come  to  be 
among  the  best  known  of  our  western  game  birds ;  the  Columbian, 
the  true  sharp-tail,  and  the  prairie  varieties  not  being  generally 
separated  by  sportsmen  either  in  the  United  States  or  Canada, 
as  they  are  by  the  systematists. 

A  most  hilarious  "dance"  that  precedes  the  nesting  season, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  pinnated  grouse,  begins  early  in  spring,  at 
the  gray  of  dawn,  when  the  sharp-tails  meet  on  a  hillock  that 
very  likely  has  been  a  favorite  with  their  ancestors,  too.  They 
behave  like  rational  fowls  until  suddenly  a  male  lowers  his  head, 
distends  the  sacs  on  either  side  of  his  neck  that  look  like  oranges 
fastened  there,  ruffles  up  his  feathers  to  appear  twice  his  natural 
size,  erects  and  spreads  his  tail,  droops  his  wings,  and,  rushing 
across  the  arena,  "takes  the  floor."  Now  the  ball  is  opened  in- 
deed. Out  rush  other  dancers,  stamping  the  ground  hard  as 
their  feet  beat  a  quick  tattoo ;  the  air  escaping  from  their  bright 
sacs  making  a  "sort  of  bubbling  crow,"  quite  different  from  the 
deep  organ  tone  of  the  pinnated  grouse  ;  the  rustling  of  the 
vibrating  wings  and  tail  furnishing  extra  music.  Now  all  join 
in  ;  at  first  there  is  dignified  decorum,  but  the  fun  grows  fast 
and  furious,  then  still  faster  and  still  more  furious  ;  the  crazy 
birds  twist  and  twirl,  stamp  and  leap  over  each  other  in  their 
frenzy,  every  moment  making  more  noise,  until  their  energy 
finally  spent,  they  c-alm  down  into  sane  creatures  again.  They 
move  quietly  about  over  the  well  worn  space  (a  "chicken's 
stamping  ground,"  measuring  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet 

282 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

across,  according  to  Mr.  Ernest  Seton  Thompson),  when,  without 
warning,  some  male  has  a  fresh  seizure  that  soon  starts  another 
saturnalia.  "The  whole  performance  reminds  one  so  strongly 
of  a  'Cree  dance,'  "  says  Mr.  Thompson,  "as  to  suggest  the 
possibility  of  its  being  the  prototype  of  the  Indian  exercise.  .  .  . 
The  dancing  is  indulged  in  at  any  time  of  the  morning  or  even- 
ing in  May,  but  it  is  usually  at  its  height  before  sunrise.  Its 
erotic  character  can  hardly  be  questioned,  but  I  cannot  fix  its 
place  or  value  in  the  nuptial  ceremonies.  The  fact  that  I  have 
several  times  noticed  the  birds  join  for  a  brief  '  set  to '  in  the  late 
fall  merely  emphasizes  its  parallelism  to  the  drumming  and  strut- 
ting of  the  ruffed  grouse  as  well  as  the  singing  of  small  birds." 

After  pairing,  the  male,  in  the  usual  selfish  fashion  of  his 
tribe,  allows  his  mate  to  seek  some  place  of  concealment,  scratch 
out  an  excavation  screened  by  grasses,  and  attend  to  all  nurs- 
ery duties,  while  he  joins  a  club  of  loafers  that  most  scientists 
consider  flagrant  polygamists  too.  From  ten  to  sixteen  eggs, 
very  small  for  so  large  a  bird,  and  of  a  brown  or  buff  shade  with 
a  few  dark  spots,  hatch,  after  about  twenty-one  days  of  close 
sitting,  into  golden  yellow,  speckled  chicks,  admirably  clothed,  to 
escape  detection  from  prowling  hawks,  as  they  squat  in  the  grass. 
This  species,  too,  is  a  conspicuous  sufferer  from  the  mowing 
machine  and  prairie  fire.  If  farmers  would  only  burn  all  their 
fields  in  autumn  instead  of  in  May  and  June,  when  birds  are  nest- 
ing, thousands  of  grouse  might  be  spared  annually. 

All  young  grouse  feed  largely  on  insects,  especially  grass- 
hoppers, at  first,  but  sharp-tails  become  almost  dependent  at  any 
time  on  the  hips  of  the  wild  rose,  the  stony  seeds  that  likewise 
do  the  work  of  gravel  being  a  staple  every  month  in  the  year ; 
willow  and  birch  browse,  various  seeds,  cereals,  and  berries  en- 
larging a  long  menu.  Such  dainty  fare  makes  delicate,  luscious 
flesh,  so  tender,  indeed,  that  young  birds  falling  at  the  aim  of  the 
sportsman's  gun  have  been  burst  asunder  when  they  reached 
the  ground,  and  their  feathers  loosened.  With  increased  age  the 
flesh  grows  dark  and  less  palatable.  These  grouse,  hunted  in 
the  same  fashion  that  the  pinnated  grouse  is,  generally  lie  well  to 
a  dog.  A  single  bird  rising  with  a  cackling  cry  when  flushed 
at  a  point,  flies  swiftly  straight  away,  now  beating  the  wings, 
now  sailing  with  them  stiffly  set  and  decurved,  still  cackling  as 
it  goes.  Later  in  the  year,  when  coveys  unite  to  form  a  dense 

283 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

pack,  the  eyes,  turned  in  all  directions  at  once,  on  the  perpet- 
ual lookout,  it  is  a  skilled  sportsman  who  can  steal  a  march  on 
them  before  they  run  swiftly  away  and  finally  take  to  wing  to  flap 
and  sail  far,  far  beyond  reach  of  his  gun.  When  cold  blasts,  high 
winds,  and  deep  snow  drive  these  prairie  lovers  into  timbered 
lands  and  sheltered  ravines,  a  covey  spends  much  time  roosting 
in  trees  and  walking  along  the  branches,  where  the  sharp-tails' 
nature  apparently  undergoes  a  change;  for  it  is  said  they  are 
almost  stupidly  unsuspicious  now,  and  will  sit  still  and  look  on 
at  the  destruction  of  their  companions.  Odd  that  they  should 
shun  man  and  his  habitations  !  A  partial  migration  of  females  to 
warmer,  or  at  least  more  sheltered  winter  quarters,  doubtless 
accounts  for  the  variation  of  the  species. 

The  Columbian  Sharp-tailed  Grouse  (Pedioccetes  phasianellus 
campestris),  also  called  by  the  various  popular  names  by  which 
the  prairie  sharp-tail  is  known  since  few  see  any  difference  be- 
tween the  two  varieties,  has  its  upper  parts  more  grayish  instead 
of  yellowish  buff,  possibly  with  less  conspicuous  white  spots  on 
its  wings  and  shoulders,  and  its  whitish  under  parts,  including 
flanks,  marked  with  black  U  or  V  shaped  lines.  In  habits  there 
appears  to  be  little  or  no  difference  between  this  variety  and  its 
prototypes  ;  therefore  the  account  of  the  prairie  sharp-tail  need 
not  be  repeated.  As  its  name  implies,  the  region  about  the  Co- 
lumbia River  is  this  grouse's  chosen  habitat;  but  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  the  United  States,  including  northeastern  California, 
northern  Nevada,  and  Utah,  Montana,  Wyoming,  Oregon,  Wash- 
ington, and  from  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  northward 
through  British  Columbia  to  central  Alaska,  is  the  area  over 
which  it  is  distributed.  As  man,  whom  it  shuns  (unlike  the 
pinnated  grouse),  appears  on  its  territory,  it  recedes  before  him 
into  wilder,  remote  districts,  until  plains  where  coveys  were 
abundant  only  five  years  ago  now  know  them  no  more. 

The  Sharp-tailed  Grouse  {Pedioccetes  phasianellus),  a  bird 
that  never  shows  its  dark,  rich  plumage  within  the  United  States, 
however  commonly  the  paler,  yellower  prairie,  and  the  grayer 
Columbian  varieties  of  this  handsome  grouse  are  called  by  its 
name,  ranges  over  the  interior  of  British  America  to  Fort  Simp- 
son, and  is  comparatively  little  known.  Reversing  the  usual  rule, 

284 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

the  plumage  of  this  one  species  grows  gradually  darker  as  the 
birds  range  northward,  until  the  true  sharp-tail  has  black  for  its 
prevailing  color. 

Sage  Grouse 

(Centrocercus  uropbasianus) 

Called  also:  SAGE  COCK;  COCK  OF  THE  PLAINS 

Length — 20  to  32  inches ;  largest  of  the  grouse. 

Male — Upper  parts  ashy  gray  barred  with  brown,  black,  and 
darker  gray;  some  white  streaks  on  wings;  tail  of  twenty 
stiff  feathers  graduated  to  a  threadlike  point,  the  central  ones 
like  back,  the  outer  ones  black  and  partly  barred  with  buff; 
top  of  head  and  neck  grayish  buff.  ("Neck  susceptible  of 
enormous  distention  by  means  of  air  sacs  covered  with  naked, 
livid  skin,  not  regularly  hemispherical  and  lateral  like  those 
of  the  pinnated  grouse,  but  forming  a  great  protuberance  in 
front  of  irregular  contour;  surmounted  by  a  fringe  of  hairlike 
filaments  several  inches  long,  springing  from  a  mass  of  erect, 
white  feathers;  covered  below  with  a  solid  set  of  sharp, 
white,  horny  feathers  like  fish  scales.  The  affair  ...  is 
constantly  changing  with  the  wear  of  the  feathers." — Dr. 
Elliott  Coues).  This  neck  decoration  is  fully  displayed  only 
at  the  pairing  season.  Fore  neck  black  speckled  with  grayish ; 
breast  gray;  flanks  broadly  barred  with  blackish  brown  and 
pale  buff,  or  sometimes  mottled  with  black;  underneath 
black;  wing  linings  white. 

Female — One-third  smaller  than  male;  chin  and  throat  white;  no 
neck  decoration ;  a  softer,  shorter  tail. 

Range — Sage  covered  and  sterile  plains  of  British  Columbia, 
Assiniboia,  the  two  Dakotas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  southward 
to  New  Mexico,  Utah,  and  Nevada;  west  to  California, 
Oregon,  and  Washington. 

Season — Permanent  resident,  or  partly  migatory  at  some  points. 

Several  peculiarities  make  this  species  noteworthy;  next  to 
the  turkey  it  is  the  largest  game  bird  in  the  United  States,  as  it 
is  the  largest  of  the  grouse  clan,  a  full  grown  male  weighing 
often  eight  pounds,  while  his  smaller  mate  may  be  only  a  little 
over  half  that  weight,  the  size  of  sage  fowls  differing  greatly. 
Another  distinction  it  possesses  in  being  the  only  one  of  the  gal- 
linaceous or  scratching  birds  without  a  gizzard,  what  answers  for 
one  being  merely  a  soft,  membraneous  bag;  hence  gravel,  prairie 
rose  seeds,  and  other  hard  substances  are  never  swallowed.  Be- 

285 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

cause  sage  grouse  are  commonly  found  in  regions  where  the  bush 
that  lends  them  its  name  abounds,  there  is  a  popular  impression 
that  its  leaves  are  their  sole  diet;  but  while  they  certainly  form  its 
staple  in  winter,  at  least,  immense  numbers  of  grasshoppers, 
crickets,  berries,  grain,  seeds  of  grasses,  and  leguminous  plants  so 
change  the  character  of  the  bird's  flesh,  ordinarily  bitter  and 
astringent,  as  to  make  it  truly  palatable  to  the  fastidious  in  many 
sections  where  only  the  sharpest  appetite  could  relish  it  under 
the  sage  circumstances.  But  even  then  a  young  bird  should  be 
drawn  immediately  after  death. 

Since  the  sage  bush  (Artemisia)  grows  to  a  height  of  only 
two  or  three  feet,  a  partial  migration  of  a  winter  pack  sometimes 
becomes  necessary  when  the  plant  is  hopelessly  buried  under 
snow,  however  willing  this  as  well  as  other  grouse  may  be  to 
plunge  into  shallow  drifts.  Intense  cold,  common  to  the  high 
altitudes,  and  intense  heat  to  the  alkali  regions  it  inhabits,  bliz- 
zards or  scorching  winds,  apparently  do  not  affect  this  hardy 
bird.  The  food  supply  is  its  first  consideration ;  after  that  a  drink 
morning  and  evening  from  some  clear  mountain  stream.  At  the 
approach  of  winter,  coveys  of  seven  or  eight  birds  begin  to  pack 
into  flocks,  sometimes  numbering  a  hundred,  whose  strong,  clan- 
nish feeling  leads  them  to  live  much  as  the  Bob  Whites  do,  though 
the  males  are  no  such  models  of  the  domestic  virtues.  Forming 
in  a  circle,  the  grouse  squat  and  huddle  for  mutual  warmth  and 
protection,  tails  toward  the  centre  of  the  ring,  heads  pointing 
outward  to  detect  danger  that  may  come  from  any  direction. 
Yet  they  are  not  suspicious  birds,  or  wild;  they  generally  walk 
quietly  away  from  an  intruder,  or  run  and  hide  among  the  sage 
bushes,  where,  owing  to  the  mimicry  of  their  plumage,  it  is  diffi- 
cult indeed  to  detect  them.  Their  nature  is  terrestrial.  Flying, 
at  the  outset  a  laborious  performance,  will  not  be  resorted  to 
except  as  a  last  expedient.  The  sage  cock  with  effort  lifts  his 
heavy  body  from  the  ground  by  much  wing  flapping;  his  balance 
is  unsteady  until  fairly  launched;  but  once  off,  on  he  goes,  alter- 
nately flapping  with  five  or  six  quick  strokes,  then  smoothly 
sailing,  cackling  his  alarm  as  he  flies,  until  far  beyond  sight. 
Wheat  found  in  the  crop  of  a  bird  killed  early  in  the  morning 
eight  miles  from  a  cultivated  field,  proves  to  what  a  distance  this 
grouse  is  willing  to  fly  for  a  good  breakfast.  Mr.  D.  G.  Elliot 
says  it  requires  a  heavy  blow  to  bring  a  bird  down,  large  shot 

206 


Bob  Whites,  Grouse,  etc. 

being  necessary  to  kill  one ;  for  it  is  capable,  even  if  severely 
wounded,  of  carrying  away  large  quantities  of  lead,  and  will  fly 
a  long  distance,  probably  not  dropping  until  life  is  extinct.  Like 
the  prairie  hen  and  the  sharp-tailed  grouse,  only  one  bird  will 
flush  at  a  time,  the  others  lying  close  in  concealment. 

Like  these  birds,  too,  the  sage  cock  goes  through  some 
amusing  pre-nuptial  performances  early  in  spring.  Inflating  his 
large  saffron  colored  air  sacs  until  they  rise  above  his  head  and 
all  but  conceal  it,  the  spring  feathers  along  the  edges  standing 
straight  out,  his  pheasant-shaped  tail  spread  like  a  great,  pointed 
fan,  the  wings  trailing  beside  him,  his  breast  rubbing  the  ground 
until  often  the  feathers  are  worn  threadbare,  he  moves  around 
the  object  of  his  affections  with  mincing,  gingerly  steps,  while 
the  air  escaping  from  the  sacs  produces  a  guttural,  purring  sound 
that  seems  to  voice  his  entire  satisfaction  with  himself.  Notwith- 
standing his  protestations  of  devotion,  he  leaves  his  mate  to 
scratch  out  a  nest  under  some  sage  bush  or  in  a  grass  tussock, 
and  here  she  confines  herself  very  closely — for  she  is  a  model 
mother — for  three  weeks  or  more.  Knowing  how  perfectly  her 
feathers  conceal  her  from  the  sharpest  eyes,  she  remains  on  the 
nest  until  sometimes  almost  stepped  on,  and  shows  the  marvel- 
ously  clever  tricks  of  protecting  her  chicks  common  to  all  this 
highly  intelligent  clan.  It  is  the  coyote  that  is  her  deadliest 
enemy.  When  the  brood  is  fully  able  to  take  care  of  itself,  the 
neglectful  father,  that  has  passed  the  early  summer  with  other 
cocks  as  selfishly  indolent  as  he,  for  the  first  time  becomes 
acquainted  with  his  children. 


387 


TURKEYS 

(Family  Pbasianidce) 

Wild  Turkey 

(Meleagris  gallopavo) 

Length — About  four  feet ;  largest  of  the  game  birds. 

Male— Head  and  upper  neck  naked  ;  plumage  with  metallic 
bronze,  copper,  and  green  reflections,  the  feathers  tipped 
with  black;  secondaries  green  barred  with  whitish,  the 
primaries  black  barred  with  white.  (The  wild  turkey  to  be 
distinguished  from  the  domestic  bird  chiefly  by  the  chestnut, 
instead  of  white,  tips  to  the  tail  and  upper  tail  coverts.)  A 
long  bunch  of  bristles  hangs  from  centre  of  breast;  bill  red, 
like  the  head  ;  legs  red  and  spurred. 

Female — Smaller,  dull  of  plumage,  and  without  the  breast  bristles. 

Range — United  States,  from  the  Chesapeake  to  the  Gulf  coast, 
and  westward  to  the  Plains. 

Season — Permanent  resident. 

Once  abundant  so  far  north  as  Maine,  Ontario,  and  Dakota, 
this  noble  game  bird,  now  hunted  to  very  near  the  extinction 
point,  has  had  its  range  so  restricted  by  the  advance  of  civiliza- 
tion, for  which  it  has  a  well  grounded  antipathy,  that  the  most 
inaccessible  mountains  or  swampy  bottom  lands,  the  borders 
of  woodland  streams  that  have  never  echoed  to  the  whistle 
of  a  steamboat,  are  not  too  remote  a  habitation.  Originally  no 
more  suspicious  and  wild  than  a  heath  hen,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  early  New  Englanders,  much  persecution  has  finally 
made  it  the  most  cunning  and  wary,  the  most  unapproachable 
bird  to  be  found  ;  but  what  possible  chance  of  escape  has  any 
wild  creature  once  man,  with  the  manifold  aids  of  civilization  at 
his  disposal,  determines  to  possess  it  ?  It  cannot  be  long  at  the 
present  rate  of  shrinkage  before  the  turkey,  in  spite  of  its  marvel- 
ous cleverness,  will  follow  the  great  auk  to  extinction. 

288 


WILD  TURKEY. 
A  Life-size. 


Turkeys 

It  is  the  Mexican  turkey,  introduced  into  Europe  early  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  that  still  abundantly  flourishes  in  poultry  yards 
everywhere,  and  furnishes  our  Thanksgiving  feasts.  Another 
bird  of  the  southwest,  the  Rio  Grande  turkey,  that  ranges  over 
northeastern  Mexico  and  southeastern  Texas,  and  a  fourth  and 
smaller  variety,  confined  to  southern  Florida,  show  constant,  if 
slight  variations  in  plumage,  but  little  in  nature,  which  awakens 
the  hope  that  if  American  sportsmen  were  to  introduce  the 
southern  races  where  the  present  species  has  been  killed  off,  and 
protect  the  birds,  magnificent  sport  might  be  indefinitely  pre- 
served. 

Beginning  at  early  dawn  in  spring,  and  before  leaving  his 
perch,  the  male  turkey  gobbles  a  shrill,  clear  love  song,  quite 
different  at  this  season,  before  fat  chokes  his  utterance,  from  the 
coarse  gobble  of  the  domestic  turkey.  The  females  now  roost 
apart,  but  in  the  same  vicinity.  By  imitating  the  hoot  of  the 
barred  owl,  and  by  skilful  counterfeits  of  the  female's  plaintive 
yelp,  produced  by  old  sportsmen  with  the  aid  of  a  turkey  wing- 
bone,  or  a  vibrating  leaf  placed  on  the  lips,  among  other  devices, 
the  turkey  may  be  lured  within  gun  range,  if  his  education  has 
not  gone  far.  Sailing  to  the  ground  from  his  perch,  in  the  hope 
of  having  attracted  some  hen  to  his  breakfast  ground,  the  cock, 
at  sight  of  one,  displays  every  charm  he  possesses  :  his  widely 
spread  tail,  his  dewlap  and  warty  neck  charged  with  bright  red 
blood  ;  and  drooping  his  wings  as  he  struts  before  her,  he  sucks 
air  into  his  windbag,  only  to  discharge  it  with  a  pulmonic  puff, 
that  he  evidently  considers  irresistibly  fascinating.  Dandified, 
overwhelmingly  conceited,  ruffled  up  with  self-importance,  he 
struts  and  puffs,  until  suddenly  an  infuriated  rival  rushing  at  him 
gives  battle  at  once;  spurs,  claws,  beaks,  make  blood  and  feathers 
fly,  and  the  vanquished  sultan  retires  discomfited,  leaving  the  foe 
in  possession  of  the  harem.  The  turkey  is  ever  a  sad  polygamist. 
Once  the  nesting  season,  lasting  about  three  months,  is  over,  the 
male  stops  gobbling,  and  not  until  the  young  need  no  care  does 
he  rejoin  the  females  and  see  his  well  grown  offspring  for  the 
first  time,  having  enjoyed  an  idle  club  life  with  other  selfish 
males  while  there  was  any  real  work  to  do. 

The  turkey-hen,  happy  in  his  exile,  even  takes  pains  to  hide 
herself  and  nest  from  his  lordship,  for  he  becomes  frightfully 
jealous  of  anything  that  distracts  her  attention  from  him,  and  will 
19  289 


Turkeys 

destroy  eggs  or  chicks  in  a  fit  of  passion.  Evidently  jealousy  is 
unknown  to  her,  however,  for  many  nests — or  the  area  of  ground 
that  answers  as  such — have  been  reported  where  two  hens  de- 
posited their  cream  colored  eggs,  finely  and  evenly  speckled  with 
brown,  thus  doubling  the  ordinary  clutch  into  one  of  two  dozen 
eggs  or  over.  It  is  thought  that,  in  such  cases,  the  good-natured 
incubators  relieve  each  other.  Snakes,  hawks,  and  other  enemies 
in  search  of  so  toothsome  a  morsel  as  a  turkey  chick,  and  heavy 
rains  that  chill  the  delicate,  downy  fledgelings,  decimate  a  brood, 
however  faithfully  tended  by  a  devoted  mother.  It  is  not  until 
they  are  able  to  fly  into  high  roosts  that  her  mind  is  relieved  of 
many  anxieties  ;  and  only  when  some  dire  calamity  sweeps  away 
her  entire  family  does  she  attempt  to  raise  a  second  brood. 
Insects,  especially  grasshoppers,  appear  to  be  the  approved  diet 
for  all  young  gallinaceous  fowl  ;  the  more  extensive  bill  of  fare 
of  fruits,  grain,  nuts,  seeds,  and  leaf  buds  comes  later,  when  a 
toughened  gizzard  may  receive  the  quantities  of  gravel  necessary 
to  grind  the  grain.  Quit,  quit,  call  the  feeding  birds,  though, 
like  domestic  fowls,  to  quit  is  the  last  thing  they  seem  ready  to  do. 
Where  food  is  abundant  they  may  wander  far,  but  never  from  a 
chosen  region,  for  they  are  not  migratory ;  nevertheless  the  pointer 
that  scents  a  small  flock  in  autumn,  when  the  innocence  of  young 
birds  makes  shooting  a  possibility  to  the  expert,  leads  his  master 
a  rough  and  wearisome  chase  before  a  shot  is  offered  at  this 
peerless  game  bird. 


290 


COLUMBINE   BIRDS 

Pigeons 
Doves 


291 


COLUMBINE   BIRDS 

(Order  Columbtz) 

Pigeons  and  Doves 

(Family  Columbidce) 

Of  three  hundred  birds  of  this  order  known  to  scientists, 
over  one  hundred  are  confined  to  the  Malay  Archipelago,  yet 
there  are  only  twenty-eight  in  India,  fewer  still  in  Australia,  only 
twelve  species  in  the  whole  of  North  America,  and  of  that  num- 
ber but  two  pigeons  and  one  dove  now  stray  far  enough  beyond 
the  Florida  Keys  and  southern  borders  to  come  within  the  scope 
of  this  book. 

Passenger,  or  Wild  Pigeon. 

Band-tailed  Pigeon. 

Mourning  Dove. 


293 


PIGEONS  AND  DOVES 

(Family  Columbidce) 

Passenger   Pigeon 

(Ectopistes  migratorius) 

Called  also  :  WILD  PIGEON 

Length — 16  to  25  inches. 

Male — Upper  parts  bluish  slate  shaded  with  olive  gray  on  back 
and  shoulders,  and  with  metallic  violet,  gold,  and  greenish 
reflections  on  back  and  sides  of  head;  the  wing  coverts  with 
velvety  black  spots;  throat  bluish  slate,  quickly  shading  into 
a  rich  reddish  buff  on  breast,  and  paling  into  white  under- 
neath; two  middle  tail  feathers  blackish;  others  fading  from 
pearl  to  white.  Eyes  red,  like  the  feet;  bill  black. 

Female — Similar,  but  upper  parts  washed  with  more  olive  brown ; 
less  iridescence;  breast  pale  grayish  brown  fading  to  white 
underneath. 

Range — Eastern  North  America,  nesting  chiefly  north  of  or  along 
the  northern  borders  of  United  States  as  far  west  as  the 
Dakotas  and  Manitoba,  and  north  to  Hudson  Bay. 

Season — Chiefly  a  transient  visitor  in  the  United  States  of  late  years. 

The  wild  pigeon  barely  survives  to  refute  the  adage,  "In 
union  there  is  strength."  No  birds  have  shown  greater  gregari- 
ousness,  the  flocks  once  numbering  not  hundreds  nor  thousands 
but  millions  of  birds;  Wilson  in  1808  mentioning  a  flock  seen 
by  him  near  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  which  he  conservatively  esti- 
mated at  over  two  billion,  and  Audubon  told  of  flights  so  dense 
that  they  darkened  the  sky,  and  streamed  across  it  like  mighty 
rivers.  So  late  as  our  Centennial  year  one  nesting  ground  in 
Michigan  extended  over  an  area  twenty-eight  miles  in  length  by 
three  or  four  in  width.  The  modern  mind,  accustomed  to  deal 
only  with  pitiful  remnants  of  feathered  races,  can  scarcely  grasp 
the  vast  numbers  that  once  made  our  land  the  sportsman's  para- 

294 


Pigeons  and  Doves 

dise.  Union  for  once  has  been  fatal.  Unlimited  netting,  even 
during  the  entire  nesting  season,  has  resulted  in  sending  over  one 
million  pigeons  to  market  from  a  single  roost  in  one  year,  leaving 
perhaps  as  many  more  wounded  birds  and  starving,  helpless, 
naked  squabs  behind,  until  the  poultry  stalls  became  so  glutted 
with  pigeons  that  the  low  price  per  barrel  scarcely  paid  for  their 
transportation,  and  they  were  fed  to  the  hogs.  This  abominable 
practice  of  netting  pigeons,  discontinued  only  because  there  are 
no  flocks  left  to  capture,  has  driven  the  birds  either  to  nest  north 
of  the  United  States,  or,  when  within  its  borders,  to  change  their 
habits  and  live  in  couples  chiefly.  Captain  Bendire,  than  whom 
no  writer  ever  expressed  an  opinion  out  of  fuller  knowledge,  said 
in  1892:  "The  extermination  of  the  passenger  pigeon  has  pro- 
gressed so  rapidly  during  the  past  twenty  years  that  it  looks  now 
as  if  their  (sic)  total  extermination  might  be  accomplished  within 
the  present  century."  Already  they  are  scarce  as  the  great  auk  in 
the  Atlantic  states. 

One,  or  at  most  two  white  eggs,  laid  on  a  rickety  platform  of 
sticks  in  a  tree,  where  they  are  visible  from  below,  would  scarcely 
account  for  the  myriads  of  pigeons  once  seen,  were  not  frequent 
nestings  common  throughout  the  summer;  and  it  is  said  the  birds 
lay  again  on  their  return  south.  Both  of  the  devoted  mates  take 
regular  turns  at  incubating,  the  female  between  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  and  nine  or  ten  the  next  morning,  daily,  leaving  the 
male  only  four  or  five  hours  sitting,  according  to  Mr.  William 
Brewster.  "The  males  feed  twice  each  day,"  he  says,  "namely, 
from  daylight  to  about  eight  A.M.,  and  again  late  in  the  afternoon. 
The  females  feed  only  in  the  forenoon.  The  change  is  made 
with  great  regularity  as  to  time,  all  the  males  being  on  the  nest 
by  ten  o'clock  A.M.  .  .  .  The  sitting  bird  does  not  leave  the 
nest  until  the  bill  of  its  incoming  mate  nearly  touches  its  tail,  the 
former  slipping  off  as  the  latter  takes  its  place.  .  .  .  Five 
weeks  are  consumed  by  a  single  nesting.  .  .  .  Usually  the 
male  pushes  the  young  off  the  nest  by  force.,  The  latter  struggles 
and  squeals  precisely  like  a  tame  squab,  but  is  finally  crowded 
out  along  the  branch,  and  after  further  feeble  resistance  flutters 
down  to  the  ground.  Three  or  four  days  elapse  before  it  is  able 
to  fly  well.  Upon  leaving  the  nest  it  is  often  fatter  and  heavier 
than  the  old  birds;  but  it  quickly  becomes  thinner  and  lighter, 
despite  the  enormous  quantity  of  food  it  consumes."  Before  it 

295 


Pigeons  and  Doves 

leaves  the  nest  it  is  nourished  with  food  brought  up  from  the 
parents'  crops,  where,  mixed  with  a  peculiar  whitish  fluid,  it 
passes  among  the  credulous  as  "pigeon's  milk."  Is  not  this 
the  nearest  approach  among  birds  to  the  mammals'  method  of 
feeding  their  young? 

Patterns  of  all  the  domestic  virtues,  proverbially  loving, 
gentle  birds,  anatomists  tell  us  their  blandness  is  due  not  to 
the  cultivation  of  their  moral  nature,  but  to  the  absence  of  the 
gall-bladder! 

The  Band-tailed,  or  White-collared  Pigeon  (Columba  fasci- 
ata),  a  large,  stout  species  distributed  over  the  western  United 
States  and  from  British  Columbia  to  Mexico,  inhabits  chiefly  those 
mountainous  regions  where  acorns,  its  favorite  food,  can  be 
secured.  The  male  has  head,  neck,  and  under  parts  purplish 
wine  red,  fading  below  ;  a  distinct  white  half  collar,  with  some 
exquisite  metallic  scales  on  it  ;  his  lower  back,  sides  of  body,  and 
wing  linings  slaty  blue  ;  the  back  and  shoulders  lustrous  dark 
greenish  brown  ;  yellow  feet  and  bill;  a  red  ring  around  eye;  and 
the  bluish  ash  tail  crossed  at  the  middle  with  a  black  bar.  The 
female  either  lacks  the  white  collar  or  it  is  obscure,  and  her  gen- 
eral coloring  is  much  duller.  Like  the  passenger  pigeon,  this 
bird  sometimes  lives  in  flocks  of  vast  extent,  its  habits  generally 
according  with  those  previously  described. 


Mourning  Dove* 

(Zenaidura  macroura) 

Called  also:  CAROLINA  DOVE  ;  TURTLE  DOVE 

Length— \  2  to  13  inches. 

Male — Grayish  brown  or  fawn  color  above,  varying  to  bluish 
gray.  Crown  and  upper  part  of  head  greenish  blue,  with 
green  and  golden  metallic  reflections  on  sides  of  neck.  A 
black  spot  under  each  ear.  Forehead  and  breast  reddish 
buff;  lighter  underneath.  (General  impression  of  color, 
bluish  fawn.)  Bill  black,  with  tumid,  fleshy  covering;  feet 

*  The  account  of  the  Mourning  Dove,  which,  in  a  work  scientifically  classified, 
belongs  in  its  present  position,  is  reprinted  from  the  author's  "  Bird  Neighbors,"  which 
was  written  without  a  plan  for  a  supplementary  companion  volume. 

296 


Pigeons  and  Doves 

red;  two  middle  tail  feathers  longest;  all  others  banded  with 

black  and  tipped  with  ashy  white.     Wing  coverts  sparsely 

spotted  with    black.     Flanks    and    underneath    the  wings 

bluish. 

Female — Duller  and  without  iridescent  reflections  on  neck. 
Range— North  America,  from  Quebec  to  Panama,  and  westward 

to  Arizona.     Most  common  in  temperate   climate,  east  of 

Rocky  Mountains. 
Season — March  to  November.     Common  summer  resident ;   not 

migratory  south  of  Virginia. 

The  beautiful,  soft  colored  plumage  of  this  incessant  and 
rather  melancholy  love-maker  is  not  on  public  exhibition.  To  see 
it  we  must  trace  the  a-coo-o,  coo-o,  coo-oo,  coo-o  to  its  source  in 
the  thick  foliage  in  some  tree  in  an  out-of-the-way  corner  of  the 
farm,  or  to  an  evergreen  near  the  edge  of  the  woods.  The  slow, 
plaintive  notes,  more  like  a  dirge  than  a  love  song,  penetrate  to 
a  surprising  distance.  They  may  not  always  be  the  same  lovers 
we  hear  from  April  to  the  end  of  summer,  but  surely  the  sound 
seems  to  indicate  that  they  are.  The  dove  is  a  shy  bird,  attached 
to  its  gentle  and  refined  mate  with  a  devotion  that  has  passed 
into  a  proverb,  but  caring  little  or  nothing  for  the  society  of  other 
feathered  friends,  and  very  little  for  its  own  kind,  unless  after  the 
nesting  season  has  passed.  In  this  respect  it  differs  widely  from 
its  cousins,  the  wild  pigeons,  flocks  of  which,  numbering  many 
millions,  are  recorded  by  Wilson  and  other  early  writers  before 
the  days  when  netting  these  birds  became  so  fatally  profitable. 

What  the  dove  finds  to  ardently  adore  in  the  "shiftless 
housewife,"  as  Mrs.  Wright  calls  his  lady-love,  must  pass  the 
comprehension  of  the  phoebe,  which  constructs  such  an  exquisite 
home,  or  of  a  bustling,  energetic  Jenny  Wren,  that  "looketh  well 
to  the  ways  of  her  household  and  eateth  not  the  bread  of  idle- 
ness." She  is  a  flabby,  spineless  bundle  of  flesh  and  pretty 
feathers,  gentle  and  refined  in  manners,  but  slack  and  incompe- 
tent in  all  she  does.  Her  nest  consists  of  a  few  loose  sticks, 
without  rim  or  lining  ;  and  when  her  two  babies  emerge  from 
the  white  eggs,  that  somehow  do  not  fall  through  or  roll  out  of 
the  rickety  lattice,  their  tender  little  naked  bodies  must  suffer 
from  many  bruises.  We  are  almost  inclined  to  blame  the  incon- 
siderate mother  for  allowing  her  offspring  to  enter  the  world 
unclothed— obviously  not  her  fault,  though  she  is  capable  of  just 

297 


Pigeons  and  Doves 

such  negligence.  Fortunate  are  the  baby  doves  when  their  lazy 
mother  scatters  her  makeshift  nest  on  top  of  one  that  a  robin  has 
deserted,  as  she  frequently  does.  It  is  almost  excusable  to  take 
her  young  birds  and  rear  them  in  captivity,  where  they  invariably 
thrive,  mate,  and  live  happily,  unless  death  comes  to  one,  when 
the  other  often  refuses  food  and  grieves  its  life  away. 

In  the  wild  state,  when  the  nesting  season  approaches,  both 
birds  make  curious  acrobatic  flights  above  the  tree-tops;  then, 
after  a  short  sail  in  midair,  they  return  to  their  perch.  This 
appears  to  be  their  only  giddiness  and  frivolity,  unless  a  dust- 
bath  in  the  country  road  might  be  considered  a  dissipation. 

In  the  autumn  a  few  pairs  of  doves  show  slight  gregarious 
tendencies,  feeding  amiably  together  in  the  grain  fields  and  retir- 
ing to  the  same  roost  at  sundown. 


298 


PART  IV. 

BIRDS   OF  PREY 


Vultures 

Kites 

Hawks 

Eagles 

Owls 


299 


BIRDS   OF   PREY 

(Order  Raptores) 

These  rapacious  birds,  whose  entire  structure  indicates 
strength,  ferocity,  carnivorous  appetite,  and  powerful  flight, 
have,  for  their  diagnostic  features,  strong,  hooked  bills,  covered 
toward  the  base  with  a  cere,  or  membrane,  through  which  the 
nostrils  open;  four  long,  strong  toes,  flexibly  jointed  to  secure 
greatest  grasping  power,  and  fitted  with  sharp,  curved  nails  or 
talons;  long,  ample  wings  and  muscular  legs,  partly  feathered. 
The  young,  though  not  naked  when  hatched,  as  are  most  altri- 
cial  birds,  remain  in  the  nest,  dependent  on  their  parents,  for  a 
long  time. 

American  Vultures 

(Family  Catbartidce) 

Two  of  the  eight  vultures  found  in  the  western  hemisphere 
live  chiefly  in  the  southern  part  of  the  United  States.  These 
birds  have  head  and  neck  bare  of  feathers  or  covered  only  with 
down;  toes  and  tarsus  bare  likewise;  claws  not  much  incurved 
and  not  very  sharp ;  perfectly  developed  wings  for  continuous, 
majestic  flight;  and  strong  digestive  organs  adapted  to  carrion, 
since  these  birds  are  most  active  scavengers.  Vultures  are  gre- 
garious. They  alone,  among  the  birds  of  prey,  feed  their  young 
by  disgorging  food. 

Turkey  Vulture 

Black  Vulture 

Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles 

(Family  Falconidce) 

A  loud,  startling  cry ;  powerful  legs  and  feet  for  striking  at 
prey;  the  hind  fourth  toe  as  long  as  the  others,  for  grasping; 

301 


Birds  of  Prey 

sharp,  decurved  nails  or  talons,  indicate  the  extreme  of  ferocity 
among  the  feathered  tribes.  Small  mammals,  reptiles,  batra- 
chians,  and  insects  make  up  a  far  larger  proportion  of  this 
family's  food  than  birds  and  poultry,  although  agriculturists 
generally  little  appreciate  its  great  service  in  protecting  their 
crops.  Solitary  birds  of  freedom,  they  hold  themselves  high 
aloof  from  the  world;  nevertheless,  eagerly  vigilant,  their  won- 
derfully acute  eyes  keep  constantly  alert  for  food.  Flocks  are 
occasionally  seen,  but  in  the  act  of  migrating  only,  for  they  are 
not  truly  gregarious,  like  vultures.  Some  species  remain  mated  for 
life,  and  become  strongly  attached  to  a  nesting  site,  where  they 
return  year  after  year,  a  pair  preempting  an  entire  neighborhood. 

Swallow-tailed  Kite 

Marsh  Hawk  or  Harrier 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk 

Cooper's  Hawk 

American  Goshawk 

Red-tailed  Hawk 

Red-shouldered  Hawk 

Swainson's  Hawk 

Broad-winged  Hawk 

Rough-legged  Hawk 

Golden  Eagle 

Bald  Eagle 

Duck  Hawk 

Pigeon  Hawk 

American  Sparrow  Hawk 

American  Osprey,  or  Fish  Hawk 

Barn  Owls 

(Family  Strigidce) 

A  broad,  triangular,  facial  disc ;  a  jagged  edged  middle  toe 
nail,  and  some  peculiarities  of  bone  structure,  separate  these 
birds  from  the  other  owls.  They  have  also  very  long,  pointed 
wings,  reaching  beyond  the  tail;  soft,  downy,  speckled  plum- 
age; legs  feathered  to  toes;  extremely  acute,  long  claws,  and 
comparatively  small. eyes  among  other  outer  characteristics;  but 
in  habits  they  differ  little  from  their  kin. 

American  Barn,  or  Monkey-faced  Owl 
333 


Birds  of  Prey 

Horned  and  Hoot  Owls 

(Family  Bubonidce) 

Like  the  osprey  in  the  hawk  group,  owls  have  a  peculiarly 
flexible,  reversible  hind  toe;  eyes  not  capable  of  being  rolled  but 
set  firmly  in  the  sockets,  necessitating  the  turning  of  the  head  to 
see  in  different  directions;  feathered  discs  around  the  eyes; 
loose,  mottled  plumage,  some  species  with  feathered  ear  tufts 
(horns),  others  without;  hooked  beaks  and  muscular  feet  for 
perching  and  for  grasping  prey: — these  are  their  chief  charac- 
teristics. Birds  of  the  woodland,  more  rarely  of  grassy  marshes 
and  plains,  nearly  all  nocturnal  in  habits,  since  their  food  con- 
sists mostly  of  small  mammals  that  steal  abroad  at  night  to 
destroy  the  farmer's  crops,  the  owls  are  among  the  most  val- 
uable of  birds  to  the  agriculturist.  Unless  too  large,  the  prey 
is  bolted  entire — the  hair,  claws,  bones,  etc.,  being  afterward 
ejected  in  matted  pellets. 

American  Long-eared  Owl 

American  Short-eared  Owl 

Barred  or  Hoot  Owl 

Saw-whet  or  Acadian  Owl 

Screech  Owl 

Great  Horned  Owl 

Snowy  Owl 

American  Hawk  Owl 

Burrowing  Owl 


AMERICAN  VULTURES 

(Family  Catbartidce) 

Turkey  Vulture 

(Catbartes  aura) 

Called  also:  TURKEY  BUZZARD 

Length — ys  inches;  wing  spread  about  6  feet. 

Male  and  Female — Blackish  brown ;  wing  coverts  and  linings 
grayish ;  head  and  neck  naked  and  red,  from  livid  crimson 
to  pale  cinnamon,  and  usually  with  white  specks;  base  of 
bill  red,  and  end  dead  white;  feet  flesh  colored.  Head 
of  female  covered  with  grayish  brown,  fur-like  feathers. 
Young  darker  than  adults;  bill  and  skin  of  head  dark  and 
the  latter  downy.  Nestlings  of  yellowish  white. 

Range — Temperate  North  America,  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific, 
rarely  so  far  north  as  British  Columbia;  southward  to  Pata- 
gonia and  Falkland  Islands.  Casual  in  New  England. 

Season — Permanent  resident,  except  at  extreme  northern  limit 
of  range. 

Floating  high  in  air,  with  never  a  perceptible  movement  of 
its  widespread  wings,  as  it  circles  with  majestic,  unimpas- 
sioned  grace  in  a  great  spiral,  this  common  buzzard  of  our 
southern  states  suggests  by  its  flight  the  very  poetry  of  motion, 
while  its  terrestrial  habits  of  scavenger  are  surely  the  very  prose 
of  existence.  In  the  air  the  bird  is  unsurpassed  for  grace,  as, 
rising  with  the  wind,  with  only  the  slightest  motion  of  its  great, 
flexible,  upturned  wings,  it  sails  around  and  around,  for  hours  at  a 
time,  at  a  height  of  two  or  three  hundred  feet;  then  descending  in 
a  long  sweep,  rises  again  with  the  same  calm,  effortless  soaring 
that  often  carries  it  beyond  our  sight  through  the  thin,  summer 
clouds.  Humboldt  recorded  that  not  even  the  condor  reaches 
greater  heights  beyond  the  summits  of  the  Andes  than  this 
buzzard,  which  often  joins  rU  South  American  relative  in  its 

304 


at* 


Vultures 

dizzy  sport.  Since  the  buzzard  is  gregarious,  there  are  usually 
a  dozen  great  birds  amusing  themselves  by  wheeling  through 
space  in  pursuit  of  pleasure,  and  abandoning  themselves  to  the 
amusement  with  tireless  ecstasy.  Is  it  not  probable  that  so 
much  exercise  is  taken  to  help  digest  the  enormous  amount  of 
carrion  bolted  ?  For  this  reason,  it  is  thought,  the  wood  ibis  soars 
and  gyrates. 

Other  birds  have  utilitarian  motives  for  keeping  in  the 
air;  several  of  the  hawks,  for  example,  do  indeed  sail  about  in  a 
similar  graceful  spiral  flight,  notably  the  red-tailed  species,  but 
a  sudden  swoop  or  dive  proves  that  its  slow  gyrations  were 
made  with  an  eye  directly  fastened  on  a  dinner.  The  crow 
soars  to  fight  the  hawk  that  carries  off  its  young;  the  king- 
bird dashes  upward  to  pursue  the  crow ;  but,  amidst  the  quarrels 
and  cruelties  of  other  birds,  the  turkey  buzzard  sails  serenely 
on  its  way,  molested  by  none,  since  it  attacks  none,  and 
makes  no  enemies,  feeding  as  it  does,  for  the  most  part,  on 
carrion  that  none  grudge  it.  The  youngest  chickens  in  the 
barnyard  show  no  alarm  when  a  turkey  buzzard  alights 
in  their  midst.  They  know  that  no  more  harmless  creature 
exists.  It  is  the  most  common  bird  in  the  South,  being 
protected  there  by  law  in  consideration  of  its  services  as 
scavenger,  whereas  many  tuneful  song  birds  that  destroy 
innumerable  insect  pests  for  the  farmer  are  wantonly  killed. 
Every  field  has  its  buzzards  soaring  overhead  and  casting 
their  shadows,  like  clouds,  on  the  grain  below.  Depending 
on  their  services,  the  farmers  allow  the  dead  horse,  or  pig,  or 
chicken  to  lie  where  it  drops,  for  the  vultures  to  peck  at  until 
the  bones  are  as  clean  ?.s  if  purified  by  an  antiseptic.  Fresh 
meat  has  no  attractions  for  them;  their  preference  is  for  flesh 
sufficiently  foetid  to  aid  their  sight  in  searching  for  food,  and  on 
such  they  will  gorge  until  often  unable  to  rise  from  the  ground. 
When  disturbed  in  the  act  of  overhauling  a  rubbish  heap  in  the 
environs  of  the  city,  for  the  bits  of  garbage  that  no  goat  would 
touch,  they  express  displeasure  at  a  greedy  rival  by  blowing 
through  the  nose,  making  a  low,  hissing  sound  or  grunt,  the 
only  noise  they  ever  utter,  and  by  lifting  their  wings  in  a  threat- 
ening attitude.  With  both  beak  and  claws  capable  of  inflicting 
painful  injury,  the  buzzard  resorts  to  the  loathsome  trick  of 
disgorging  the  foul  contents  of  its  stomach  on  an  intruder. 

3°S 


Vultures 

This  automatic  performance  is  practised  even  by  the  youngest 
fledglings  when  disturbed  in  the  nest.  It  certainly  is  a  most  ef- 
fective protection.  Petrels  also  practise  it,  but  not  so  commonly. 

The  turkey  buzzard  shows  a  decided  preference  for  warm 
latitudes,  never  nesting  farther  north  than  New  Jersey  on  the 
Atlantic  coast,  though,  strangely  enough,  it  has  penetrated  into 
the  interior  so  far  as  British  Columbia.  Lewis  and  Clarke  met  it 
about  the  falls  of  the  Oregon,  and  it  is  still  not  uncommon  on 
the  Pacific  slope.  Nevertheless,  it  is  about  the  shambles  of 
towns  in  the  West  Indies  and  other  hot  countries  that  the  buz- 
zard finds  life  the  pleasantest.  It  has  the  tropical  vice  of  laziness, 
so  closely  allied  to  cowardliness,  and  lives  where  there  is  the 
least  possible  necessity  for  exercising  the  stronger  virtues.  Our 
soldiers  in  the  war  with  Spain  tell  of  the  final  touch  of  horror 
given  to  the  Cuban  battle-fields  where  their  wounded  and  dead 
comrades  fell,  by  the  gruesome  vultures  that  often  were  the  first 
to  detect  a  corpse  lying  unseen  among  the  tall  grass. 

As  night  approaches,  one  buzzard  after  another  flies  toward 
favorite  perches  in  the  trees,  preferably  dead  ones,  and  settles, 
with  much  flapping  of  wings,  on  the  middle  branches ; 
then  stretching  its  body  and  walking  along  the  roost  like 
a  turkey,  until  it  arrives  at  the  chosen  spot,  it  hisses  or 
grunts  through  its  nostrils  at  the  next  arrival,  whose  additional 
weight  frequently  snaps  the  dead  branch  and  compels  a  number 
of  the  great  birds  to  repeat  the  prolonged  process  of  settling  to 
sleep.  But,  very  frequently,  the  traveller  in  the  South  notices 
buzzards  perched,  like  dark  spectres,  on  the  chimneys  of  houses, 
at  night,  especially  in  winter,  in  order  to  warm  their  sensitive 
bodies  by  the  rising  smoke,  and,  after  a  rain,  they  often  spread 
their  wings  over  the  flues  to  dry  their  water-soaked  feathers. 
This  spread-eagle  attitude  is  also  taken,  anywhere  the  bird  hap- 
pens to  be,  when  the  sun  comes  out  after  a  drenching  shower. 

Without  exerting  themselves  to  form  a  nest,  the  buzzards 
seek  out  a  secluded  swamp,  palmetto  "scrub,"  sycamore 
grove,  or  steep  and  sunny  hillside,  and  deposit  from  one  to 
three  eggs,  usually  two,  in  the  cavity  of  a  stump,  or  lay  them 
directly  on  the  ground,  under  a  bush,  or  on  a  rock — any- 
where, in  fact,  that  necessity  urges.  Rotten  wood  is  a  favorite 
receptacle,  but  the  angular  bricks  of  ruined  chimneys  are  not 
disdained.  The  eggs  are  of  a  dull  yellowish  white,  irregularly 

306 


Vultures 

blotched  with  chocolate  brown  markings,  chiefly  at  the  larger 
end.  Very  rarely  eggs  are  found  without  these  markings. 
Laying  aside,  for  a  time,  his  slothful  ways,  the  male  carefully 
attends  his  sitting  mate.  As  a  colony  of  buzzards,  when  nest- 
ing, indulges  its  offensive  defensive  action  most  relentlessly, 
few,  except  scientists,  care  to  make  a  close  study  of  the  birds' 
nesting  habits. 

Black  Vulture 

(Catharista  atrata) 

Called  also:  CARRION   CROW 

Length — About  24  inches.     Wing  spread  over  four  feet. 

Male  and  Female — Dull  black  ;    under  part   of  point  of  wings 

silvery  gray ;   head,  neck,  and  base  of  bill  dusky ;  tip  of  bill 

and  feet  flesh  colored  or  grayish;  head  and  neck  bare. 
Range — Common  in   South   Atlantic  and   Gulf  states,    through 

Mexico  to  South  America.     Occasional  in  Western  states. 

Rare  north  of  Ohio. 
Season — Permanent  resident. 

With  a  heavier,  more  thickset  body  than  the  turkey  buz- 
zard's and  shorter  wings,  this  very  common  "carrion  crow" 
may  be  identified  in  mid-air  by  its  comparative  lack  of  grace  in 
flight,  its  frequent  wing  flapping,  and  its  smaller  size,  which  is 
more  apparent  than  real,  however,  since  its  stocky  build  offsets 
its  narrower  wing-spread.  Five  or  six  quick,  vigorous  flaps  of 
the  wings  send  the  bird  sailing  off  horizontally  ;  another  series 
of  wing  flappings  carries  it  up  higher  for  another  sail ;  but  the 
flight  is  heavy  and  labored  when  compared  with  the  majestic 
spiral  floating  of  the  buzzard,  and  it  lacks  the  fascination  that 
characterizes  that  other  vulture's  motion.  Seen  on  the  ground, 
the  dusky  head  of,  the  carrion  crow  is  alone  sufficient  to  differen- 
tiate it  from  the  red-headed  buzzard.  It  is  also  black  instead  of 
brown  ;  and  its  tail  is  short  and  rounded. 

A  more  southerly  range  and  a  decided  preference  for  the  sea- 
coast,  and  for  the  habitations  of  men,  again  distinguish  it;  but  in 
nesting  and  other  habits  than  those  noted  these  two  vultures  are 
almost  identical.  While  both  species  are  cowards,  it  is  the 
black  vulture  that  invariably  secures  the  tidbit  in  the  refuse 
307 


Vultures 

heap  from  under  the  very  beak  of  the  turkey  buzzard  that 
stands  in  ridiculous  awe  of  its  heavy  weight.  But  it  is  only 
at  feeding  time  that  these  two  vultures  associate.  The  black 
vulture  is  decidedly  the  more  gregarious.  A  carcass  of  horse 
or  hog  will  sometimes  be  entirely  concealed  under  an  animate 
mass  of  these  sable  scavengers,  perhaps  two  hundred  or  more 
fiercely  clawing  at  the  loathsome  food.  They  gave  the  final 
touch  of  horror  to  the  scene  after  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish 
fleet  at  Santiago  when  the  sailors  were  washed  ashore,  and 
to  the  battlefields  where  our  own  dead  soldiers  lay.  One  of 
the  Rough  Riders  who  had  shown  magnificent  courage  in  the 
presence  of  the  enemy  went  into  violent  hysterics  at  the  sight 
of  the  vultures  hovering  over  his  fallen  friends  in  the  underbrush 
about  Baiquiri. 


KITES,   HAWKS,  EAGLES,  ETC. 

(Family  Falconidce) 

Swallow-tailed  Kite 

(Elanoides  forficatus) 

Called  also:  FORK-TAILED  KITE  ;  SNAKE  HAWK. 

Length— About  24  inches,  or  according  to  development  of  tail. 
Wing  spread  about  4  feet. 

Male  and  Female — Head,  neck,  under  parts,  including  wing 
linings,  band  across  lower  back,  snow  white  ;  rest  of  plum- 
age glossy  black,  showing  violet  and  green  reflections.  Bill 
bluish  black;  feet  and  very  short  legs,  light.  Tail  14  inches 
long  and  cleft  like  a  swallow's  for  half  its  length. 

Range — United  States,  especially  in  the  interior,  from  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  great  plains  southward  to  Central  and  South 
America.  Casual  in  New  England,  Minnesota,  Manitoba, 
and  Assiniboia;  nesting  irregularly  throughout  its  range  ; 
winters  chiefly  south  of  United  States. 

Season — Summer  resident.     April  to  October. 

Not  excepting  even  the  turkey  vulture,  the  tern  or  the 
swallow,  no  bird  moves  through  the  sky  with  more  exquisite 
grace  and  buoyancy  than  this  beautiful  black  and  white,  sharp 
winged  kite,  whose  motion  combines  the  special  fascinations 
of  each  of  its  three  close  rivals.  Soaring  upward,  buzzard 
fashion,  until  it  sometimes  fades  from  sight,  or  floating  like  it  on 
motionless  pinions;  now  swooping  with  the  dash  of  a  tern  and 
catching  itself  suddenly  just  above  the  earth  to  skim  along  the 
surface  like  a  swallow;  swaying  its  trim  body  with  a  cut  of  the 
wing  and  the  lashing  of  its  long  forked  tail,  it  pauses  neither  for 
rest  nor  food,  but  apparently  spends  every  waking  moment  in  the 
air.  It  is  supposed  it  even  sleeps  while  it  floats,  so  little  con- 
scious effort  is  evident  in  its  flight;  and  it  feeds  a-wing  by  tear- 
ing off  bits  of  the  snake,  or  other  prey,  firmly  grasped  in  its 
small  feet.  This  has  been  seized  while  passing  and  without 

9*$ 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

pause.  In  this  way  too  the  bird  takes  a  drink.  Because  they 
are  so  little  used  for  walking,  for  one  almost  never  sees  this  kite 
on  the  ground,  its  legs  are  very  short  and  all  but  invisible. 

Most  abundant  in  the  western  division  of  the  Gulf  states  and 
above  the  great  plains,  the  numbers  of  this  bird — let  it  be 
recorded — nowhere  seem  to  have  diminished,  since  it  feeds  almost 
exclusively  on  snakes,  lizards,  and  the  larger  insects  such  as 
locusts,  crickets,  and  grasshoppers,  and  never  on  other  birds. 
Even  the  dullest  mind  recognizes  it  as  harmless  and  beneficent. 
Naturally  a  bird  so  little  persecuted  shows  no  great  fear  of  man. 
Its  shrill,  penetrating  wee-wee-wee  has  been  uttered  in  the  very 
ears  of  a  picnic  party  within  sight  of  a  huge  hotel  in  Minnesota. 

But  when  the  nesting  season  arrives,  these  kites  seek  out 
uninhabited,  inaccessible  regions  where  it  is  well  worth  while  to 
follow  them,  however,  since  their  flight,  always  charming,  dash- 
ing, and  elegant,  now  assumes  matchless  perfection  impossible 
to  describe.  Even  their  wooing  is  done  on  the  wing.  Several 
pairs  may  build  in  a  neighborhood,  which  is  usually  a  dense  wood 
near  water  that  attracts  their  prey  within  easy  reach ;  and  at  the 
top  of  some  tall,  straight  tree,  anywhere  from  sixty  to  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet  from  the  ground,  an  irregular  nest  of  large  loose 
twigs,  lined  or  unlined  with  moss,  may  likely  as  not  rise  from  the 
foundations  of  one  used  the  previous  year.  From  two  to  four  white 
eggs,  boldly  spotted  or  blotched  with  different  shades  of  brown, 
are  laid  any  time  from  April  to  June,  according  to  the  latitude.  It  is 
thought  both  kites  take  turns  at  the  incubating,  which  is  closely 
attended  to ;  or  at  least  the  male  is  particularly  devoted  to  his 
sitting  mate,  always  being  seen  near  by.  In  leaving  the  nest  a 
bird  rises  upward  suddenly  as  if  sent  up  by  a  spring,  instead  of 
flying  sidewise  as  most  birds  do;  and  in  alighting  it  first  poises 
itself  directly  above  the  eggs,  then  descends  on  apparently 
motionless  wings  so  softly  and  lightly  the  large  body  might  be 
a  single  feather  dropping  from  the  sky. 


310 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Marsh  Hawk 

(Circus  Hudsonius} 

Calledalso:  MARSH  HARRIER:   BLUE  HAWK;   MOUSE 
HAWK 

Length — Male  19  inches;  female  22  inches.' 

Male— Upper  parts  gray  or  bluish  ash,  washed  with  brownish  ; 
upper  tail  coverts  pure  white ;  silver  gray  tail  feathers  with 
five  or  six  dusky  bars,  the  outer  primaries  darkest;  upper 
breast  pearl  gray,  shading  into  white  underneath,  where 
the  plumage  is  sparsely  spotted  with  rufous.  Hooked  bill, 
and  feet  black. 

Female  and  Young — Upper  parts  dark  amber;  the  head  and  neck 
streaked,  other  parts  margined  or  spotted  with  reddish 
brown;  upper  tail  coverts  white;  middle  tail  feathers 
barred  with  gray  and  black,  others  barred  with  pale  yellow 
and  black.  Under  parts  rusty  buff,  widely  streaked  on 
breast  and  more  narrowly  underneath  with  dusky.  The 
younger  the  bird  the  heavier  its  blackish  and  .rufous  colora- 
tion, many  phases  of  plumage  being  shown  before  emerging 
into  the  gray  and  white  adult  males. 

Range — North  America  in  general,  to  Panama  and  Cuba;  nests 
throughout  North  American  range;  winters  in  southern 
half  of  it. 

Season — Summer  resident  at  northern  half  of  range. 

Close  along  the  ground  skims  the  marsh  hawk,  since  field 
mice  and  other  small  mammals,  frogs,  and  the  larger  insects 
that  hide  among  the  grass  are  what  it  is  ever  seeking  as  it 
swerves  this  way  and  that,  turns,  goes  over  its  course,  "quar- 
tering "  the  ground  like  a  well  trained  dog  on  the  scent  of  a 
hare — the  peculiarity  of  flight  that  has  earned  it  the  hare-hound 
or  harrier's  name,  f  A  few  easy  strokes  in  succession,  then  a 
graceful  sail  on  motionless  wings,  make  its  flight  appear  leis- 
urely, even  slow  and  spiritless,  as  compared  with  the  impetuous 
dash  of  a  hawk  that  pursues  feathered  game;  hence  this  is  counted 
an  "ignoble"  hawk  in  the  scornful  eyes  of  falconers  used  to  the 
noble  sport  of  hawking.  Open  stretches  of  country,  wide 
fields,  salt  and  fresh  water  marshes,  ponds^.and  the  banks  of 
small  streams,  whose  sides  are  not  thickly  wooded,  since  trees 
simply  impede  this  low  flier's  progress,  are  its  favorite  hunting 
grounds;  and  it  will  sometimes  alight  on  a  low  stump,  or  in  the 

311 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

grass  itself,  for  it  is  a  low  percher  too.  Because  its  quarry  is 
humble,  and  farmers,  on  the  whole,  appreciate  its  service  in  de- 
stroying meadow  mice,  crickets,  grasshoppers,  and  other  pests, 
this  bird  suffers  comparatively  little  persecution,  and  still  remains 
one  of  the  most  widely  distributed  and  common  of  its  tribe. 
That  it  occasionally  preys  upon  small  birds,  when  other  food 
fails,  cannot  be  denied;  but  nearly  one-half  of  all  the  stomachs 
examined  by  Mr.  Fisher,  for  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  con- 
tained mice. 

In  the  nesting  season  especially,  the  harrier  belies  that 
name,  but,  proving  his  title  to  Circus,  his  Latin  one,  wheels 
round  and  round  and  floats  high  above  the  earth,  describing  some 
beautiful  evolutions  as  he  goes,  that  are  calculated  simply  to 
stimulate  afresh  the  ardor  of  his  well  beloved,  since  evidence 
strongly  points  to  a  life  partnership  between  the  mates.  Soaring 
in  the  sky,  suddenly  he  falls,  turning  several  somersaults  in  the 
descent.  ' 'At  other  times, "  says  Mr.  Ernest  Seton  Thompson, ' '  he 
flies  across  the  marsh  in  a  course  which  would  outline  a  gigantic 
saw,  each  of  the  descending  parts  being  done  in  a  somersault, 
and  accompanied  by  screeching  notes  which  form  the  only  love 
song  within  the  range  of  his  limited  powers."  All  hawks  have 
a  screaming,  harsh  cry,  not  distinctly  different  in  the  different 
species  to  serve  as  a  clew  to  identity  except  to  those  well  up  in 
field  practice ;  but  the  white  lower  back  of  the  harrier,  its  long 
tail,  and  its  terrestrial  habits  serve  to  identify  it  in  any  phase  of 
plumage.  Owing  to  its  long  wings,  it  appears  much  larger  in 
the  air  than  on  the  ground.  Four  to  six  dull  or  bluish  white  eggs, 
unmarked,  are  laid  in  May,  in  a  nest  built  of  twigs,  hay,  and 
weeds,  on  the  ground ;  yet  the  clumsy  affair  was  the  joint  effort 
of  the  mates,  that  also  take  turns  in  sitting  and  in  feeding  the 
young. 

Sharp-shinned   Hawk 

( ' Accipiter  velox) 

Called  also:  PIGEON  HAWK;   LITTLE  BLUE  DARTER 

Length — Male  10  to  12  inches;  female  12  to  14  inches. 
Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  slaty  gray.    Tail,  which  is  about  3 
inches  longer  than  tips  of  wings  and  nearly  square,  is  ashy 
312 


MARSH   HAWK. 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

gray,  barred  with  blackish,  and  with  a  whitish  tip;  throat 
white,  streaked  with  blackish.  Other  under  parts  whitish, 
barred  on  sides  and  breast  with  rusty,  buff,  and  brown, 
lining  of  wings  white,  spotted  with  dusky;  head  small'; 
tarsus  slender  and  feathered  halfway;  feet  slender.  Imma- 
ture birds  have  dusky  upper  parts,  margined  with  rufous; 
tail  resembling  adults'.  Under  parts  buffer  whitish,  streaked 
or  spotted  with  rusty  or  blackish. 

Range — North  America  in  general;  nesting  throughout  the  United 

States  and  wintering  from  Massachusetts  to  Guatemala. 
Season — Permanent  resident,  except  at  northern  parts  of  range. 

A  smaller  edition  of  Cooper's  hawk  (to  be  distinguished 
from  it  chiefly  by  its  square,  instead  of  rounded,  tail),  like  it, 
dashes  through  the  air  with  a  speed  and  audacity  that  spread 
consternation  among  the  little  song  and  game  birds  and  poultry, 
once  it  appears,  like  a  flash  of  "feathered  lightning,"  in  their 
midst.  Cries  of  terror  from  many  sympathizers  when  a  spar- 
row, a  goldfinch,  a  warbler,  or  some  tiny  victim  is  making 
desperate  efforts  to  escape,  first  attract  one's  notice;  but  of  what 
avail  are  the  stones  hurled  after  a  hawk  that  swoops  and  dodges, 
twists  and  turns,  in  imitation  of  every  movement  of  the  panic 
stricken  bird  he  presses  after,  closer  and  closer,  until,  at  the  end 
of  a  long  chase,  when  it  is  exhausted  and  almost  worried  to 
death,  he  strikes  it  with  talons  so  sharp  and  long  that  they 
penetrate  to  the  very  vitals?  Now  alighting  on  the  ground, 
he  rends  the  warm  flesh  from  its  bones  with  a  beak  as  savage  as 
the  talons.  If  the  little  bird  had  but  known  enough  to  remain 
in  the  thicket!  A  race  for  life  in  the  open  seems  to  give  the 
pursuing  villain  a  fiendish  satisfaction:  let  his  little  prey  but 
dash  toward  the  woods,  where  he  knows  as  well  as  it  does  that 
it  is  safe,  and  one  fell  swoop  cuts  the  journey  short.  There  can 
be  little  said  in  praise  of  a  marauder  that  boldly  enters  the 
poultry  yard  and  devours  dozens  of  chicks,  attacks  and  worsts 
game  birds  quite  as  large  as  itself,  and  that  eats  very  few  mice 
and  insects  and  an  overwhelming  proportion  of  birds  of  the 
greatest  value  and  charm.  The  so  called  "hen-hawks"  and 
"chicken-hawks"— much  slandered  birds— do  not  begin  to  be 
so  destructive  as  this  little  reprobate  that,  like  its  larger  proto- 
type and  the  equally  villainous  goshawk,  too  often  escape  the 
charge  of  shot  they  so  richly  deserve. 

313 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Unhappily,  the  sharp-shinned  hawk  is  one  of  the  most 
abundant  species  we  have.  Doubtless  because  it  is  small  and 
looks  inoffensive  enough,  as  it  soars  in  narrow  circles  overhead, 
its  worse  than  useless  life  is  often  spared. 

Cac,  cac,  cac,  very  much  like  one  of  the  flicker's  calls,  is 
this  hawk's  love  song  apparently,  for  it  seldom,  if  ever,  lifts  its 
voice,  except  at  the  nesting  season.  Now  it  seeks  the  woods  to 
make  a  fairly  well  constructed  nest  of  twigs,  lined  with  smaller 
ones,  or  strips  of  bark,  with  the  help  of  its  larger  mate,  from  fif- 
teen to  forty  feet  from  the  ground.  Strangely  enough,  the  nest 
is  not  a  common  find,  however  abundant  the  bird,  neither 
Nuttall  nor  Wilson  having  discovered  one  in  all  their  tireless  wan- 
derings. Dense  evergreens,  the  favorite  nesting  localities,  con- 
ceal the  nest,  large  as  it  is — much  too  large  for  so  small  a  bird, 
one  would  think.  A  pair  of  these  hawks  may  sometimes  repair 
their  last  season's  home,  but  will  never  appropriate  an  old  tene- 
ment belonging  to  others,  as  many  hawks  do.  Late  in  May, 
or  even  so  late  as  June,  from  three  to  six  bluish  or  greenish 
white  eggs,  heavily  blotched  or  washed  with  cinnamon  red  or 
chocolate  brown,  keep  both  parents  busy  incubating  and,  later, 
feeding  a  hungry  family.  Climb  up  to  the  nursery,  and  angry, 
fearless  birds  dash  and  strike  at  an  intruder  as  if  he  were  no 
larger  than  a  goldfinch. 

Cooper's  Hawk 

(Accipiter  Cooperi) 

Called  also:  CHICKEN  HAWK;  BIG  BLUE  DARTER. 

Length — Male  15. 50  inches;  female  19  inches. 

Male,  Female  and  Young — To  be  distinguished  from  the  sharp- 
shinned  species  only  by  their  larger  size,  darker,  blackish 
crowns,  and  rounded,  instead  of  square,  tails. 

Range — Temperate  North  America,  nesting  throughout  its  United 
States  range;  some  birds  wintering  in  Mexico  and  the 
southern  states. 

Season — Permanent  resident  except  at  northern  limits  of  range, 
where  it  is  a  summer  or  transient  visitor. 

Like  the  sharp-shinned  hawk  in  habits  as  in  plumage,  this, 
its  larger  double,  lives  by  devouring  birds  of  so  much  greater 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

value  than  itself  that  the  law  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  should 
be  enforced  by  lead  until  these  villains,  from  being  the  commonest 
of  their  generally  useful  tribe,  adorn  museum  cases  only.  Captain 
Bendire, writing  for  the  Government,  says:  "Cooper's  hawk  must 
be  considered  as  one  of  the  few  really  injurious  Raptores  found 
within  our  limits,  and  as  it  is  fairly  common  at  all  seasons 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  United  States,  it  does  in  the 
aggregate  far  more  harm  than  all  other  hawks.  It  is  well  known 
to  be  the  most  audacious  robber  the  farmer  has  to  contend  with 
in  the  protection  of  his  poultry,  and  is  the  equal  in  every  way, 
both  in  spirit  and  dash,  as  well  as  in  bloodthirstiness,  of  its  larger 
relative,  the  goshawk,  lacking,  however,  the  strength  of  the  latter, 
owing  to  its  much  smaller  size.  It  is  by  far  the  worst  enemy  of 
all  the  smaller  game  birds,  living  to  a  great  extent  on  them  as 
well  as  on  small  birds  generally.  It  does  not  appear  to  be 
especially  fond  of  the  smaller  rodents ;  these,  as  well  as  reptiles, 
batrachians,  and  insects,  seem  to  enter  only  to  a  limited  extent 
into  its  daily  bill  of  fare,  and  unfortunately  it  is  only  too  often  the 
case  that  many  of  our  harmless  and  really  beneficial  hawks  have 
to  suffer  for  the  depredations  of  these  daring  thieves." 

American  Goshawk 

(Accipiter  atricapillus) 

Called  also:  BLUE  HEN  HAWK;  PARTRIDGE  HAWK. 

Length — Male  22  inches;  female  24  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  bluish  slate,  darkest  or  blackish  on 
head  ;  white  line  over  and  behind  eye;  tail  like  back  and 
banded  with  blackish  bars,  the  last  one  the  broadest,  and 
the  tip  whitish.  Entire  under  parts  evenly  marked  with 
irregular  wavy  lines  of  gray  and  white,  the  barring  usually 
most  heavy  on  the  flanks  and  underneath.  Immature  birds 
have  dusky  upper  parts  margined  with  chestnut,  the  tail 
brownish  gray  barred  with  black,  the  under  parts  white  or 
buff  streaked  with  black.  Bill  dark  bluish.  Feet  yellow. 

.&*«£*— Northern  North  America;  nests  from  northern  United 
States  northward ;  winters  so  far  south  as  Virginia. 

Season — Permanent  resident. 

Another  villain  of  deepest  dye;  what  good  can  be  said  of  It 
beyond  that  it  wears  handsome  feathers,  is  a  devoted  mate  and 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

parent,  a  fearless  hunter,  and  of  some  small,  if  disproportionate, 
value  to  the  farmer  in  occasionally  eating  field  mice  and  insects  ? 
Whitewashing  is  useless  in  the  case  of  a  bird  known  to 
be  the  most  destructive  creature  on  wings.  No  more  daring 
marauder  prowls  above  the  poultry  yards  than  the  goshawk 
that  drops  like  a  thunderbolt  from  a  clear  sky  at  the  farmer's 
very  feet  and  carries  off  his  chickens  before  his  eyes.  Grouse, 
Bob  Whites,  ducks,  and  rabbits: — in  fact,  all  the  sportsmen's  pets 
and  innumerable  songbirds,  are  hunted  down  with  a  dash  and 
spirit  worthy  of  a  better  motive.  Bloodthirsty,  delighting  in 
killing  what  it  often  cannot  eat,  marvellously  keen  sighted,  a 
powerful,  swift  flyer,  aggressive,  and  constantly  on  the  alert,  it 
is  small  wonder  all  lesser  birds  become  panic-stricken  when  this 
murderer  sails  within  striking  distance.  Without  a  quiver  of  its 
wings  it  will  sail  and  sail,  apparently  with  the  most  innocent 
intent.  Again,  with  strong  wing  beats,  it  will  rush  through 
the  air  and  overtake  a  duck  that  flies  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred 
miles  an  hour,  seize  it  by  the  throat,  sever  its  windpipe  and 
fly  off  with  its  burden.  One  very  rarely  sees  the  goshawk 
perching  and  waiting  for  prey  to  come  to  it.  When  it  does  so, 
it  holds  itself  erect,  elegant  and  spirited  as  ever.  After  tearing 
the  legs  off  a  ruffed  grouse,  and  plucking  every  feather,  this 
villain  has  been  known  to  prepare  another  and  another  until 
five  were  ready  for  an  orgie,  which  consisted  of  only  fragments 
of  each,  torn  with  its  savage  beak.  Mr.  H.  D.  Minot  tells  of 
watching  a  goshawk  press  into  a  company  of  pine  grosbeaks 
and  seize  one  in  each  foot.  Happily  the  agony  is  short,  for  a 
hawk's  talons  penetrate  the  vitals. 

Although  a  northern  ranger,  the  goshawk  nests  early — in 
April  or  early  May — and  placing  a  quantity  of  twigs  and  grasses 
close  to  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  anywhere  from  fifteen  to  seventy 
feet  from  the  ground,  both  mates  take  turns  in  attending  to  the 
nursery  duties  after  from  two  to  four  pale  bluish  green  eggs 
(that  fade  to  dull  white)  have  been  laid.  Now  the  hawks  are 
more  audacious  and  vicious  than  ever,  as  their  piercing  cries 
indicate,  and  it  is  an  irrepressible  collector  who  dares  rob  them. 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Red-tailed  Hawk 

(Buteo  borealis) 

Called  also:  HEN  HAWK;   CHICKEN  HAWK;   RED-TAILED 
BUZZARD;   RED  HAWK 

Length — Male  20  inches ;  female  2  3  inches. 

Male  and  Female—  Upper  parts  dark  grayish  brown;  the  feathers 
edged  with  rufous,  white,  gray,  and  tawny ;  the  wing  cov- 
erts lack  the  rufous  shade  ;  tail  rusty  red,  tipped  with 
white  and  with  a  narrow  black  band  near  its  end,  but 
silvery  gray  on  the  under  side.  Under  parts  buff  or  whit- 
ish, with  heaviest  brown  or  blackish  markings  on  the  flanks 
and  underneath,  often  forming  an  imperfect  band  across  the 
lower  breast.  Immature  birds  lack  the  red  tail,  their  tails 
being  grayish,  or  like  the  back,  with  numerous  black  bars. 

Range — Eastern  United  States,  west  to  the  great  plains ;  nesting 
throughout  its  range. 

Season — Permanent  resident;  partly  migratory. 

With  a  wing  spread  of  four  feet,  the  red-tailed  hawk,  no  less 
than  the  red-shouldered  species,  is  a  conspicuous  object  in  the 
sky,  especially  in  August  and  September,  when  all  hawks 
appear  to  be  less  hungry  and  vicious  than  usual,  and  constantly 
and  serenely  sailing  and  gyrating  high  overhead,  beyond 
thought  of  mundane  concerns.  Lacking  the  dash  and  address  of 
Cooper's  hawk,  this  far  larger,  heavier  buzzard  is  rather  leis- 
urely, not  to  say  slow,  of  movement.  Mounting  higher  and 
higher  in  a  spiral  till  it  appears  a  mere  speck  in  the  blue,  it  will 
sail  and  float,  ascending,  descending,  in  long  undulations,  then, 
when  rising  and  circling,  with  no  perceptible  vibration  of  its 
wings,  it  will  suddenly  lift  them  to  a  point  above  the  back  and 
shoot  earthward  like  a  meteor.  Catching  itself  just  as  you 
believe  it  must  certainly  dash  itself  to  pieces,  again  it  rises,  with 
bounds,  on  broad  wings  to  enjoy  the  stratum  of  cooler  air,  high 
above  the  tree  tops,  all  these  hardy  birds  delight  in.  One  hawk 
was  watched  in  the  air,  without  once  alighting,  from  seven  in 
the  morning  till  four  in  the  afternoon. 

When  not  in  the  act  of  sailing,  the  most  likely  position  to 
find  this  majestic  air  king  in  is  perched  on  a  tree  at  the  edge  of  a 

3*7 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

patch  of  woods,  a  dead  limb  near  water,  or  above  low  open  fields 
or  swamps,  and  there,  intent  and  eager,  it  will  wait  hours  and 
hours  for  its  quarry  to  come  within  range.  Then,  like  feathered 
lightning,  down  it  flashes  and  strikes  its  prey.  One  never  sees 
this  hawk  dashing  through  the  air  in  pursuit  of  a  victim,  as  the 
sharp-shinned,  Cooper's  hawk  and  the  goshawk  do.  It  may 
sometimes  pounce  upon  a  bird  a-wing,  but  humbler  quarry  gen- 
erally takes  it  to  earth.  Of  the  five  hundred  and  sixty-two 
stomachs  of  red-tailed  hawks  examined  by  Mr.  Fisher  for  the 
Department  of  Agriculture,  one-half  contained  mice,  about  one- 
third  other  mammals,  fifty-four  contained  poultry  or  game  birds ; 
and  batrachians  or  reptiles,  insects,  etc.,  filled  part  of  the  re- 
mainder, eighty-nine  being  empty.  Captain  Bendire,  in  his 
valuable  book  prepared  for  the  Government,  says  :  "Unfortu- 
nately the  red-tailed  hawk  has  a  far  worse  reputation  with  the 
average  farmer  than  it  really  deserves ;  granting  that  it  dees  cap- 
ture a  chicken  or  one  of  the  smaller  game  birds  now  and  then — 
and  this  seems  to  be  the  case  only  in  winter,  when  such  food  as 
they  usually  subsist  on  is  scarce — it  can  be  readily  proved  that  it 
is  far  more  beneficial  than  otherwise,  and  really  deserves  protec- 
tion, instead  of  having  a  bounty  placed  on  its  head,  as  has  been 
the  case  in  several  states." 

Around  the  nest  especially,  though  one  sometimes  hears  its 
squealing  whistle,  like  "escaping  steam,"  as  it  floats  overhead, 
at  any  season,  the  red-tail  becomes  more  noisy,  but  its  voice  is 
rather  weak,  considering  the  size  of  the  bird.  About  eighty  per 
cent,  of  all  nests  found  have  been  in  birch  trees,  and  placed  from 
sixty  to  seventy  feet  from  the  ground.  A  large  bundle  of  sticks, 
lined  with  strips  of  bark,  twigs,  and  feathers  from  the  birds 
themselves,  is  placed  usually  where  some  large  limb  branches 
off  from  the  trunk;  and  so  dear  does  this  rude  cradle  become  to 
the  mates  that  jointly  prepare  it,  it  will  be  used  year  after  year 
if  the  hawks  are  unmolested.  From  two  to  four  dull  white 
eggs,  with  rough,  granulated  shells,  often  scantily  and  irregularly 
marked  with  shades  of  cinnamon,  take  about  four  weeks  of  close 
incubation,  in  which  both  the  devoted  lovers  and  parents  assist. 
It  is  believed  these  birds,  like  most  of  their  kin,  remain  mated 
for  life.  The  helpless,  downy  young  remain  in  the  nest  until 
fully  able  to  fly.  Hawks  usually  bolt  their  food,  and  around  a 
nest  are  abundant  traces  of  the  hearty  appetite  of  a  voung  family, 

318 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

the  tutts  of  mouse  hair  and  pellets  of  other  disgorged,  indigestible 
material  plentifully  besprinkling  the  ground. 

The  Western  Red-tail  (Buteo  borealis  calurus),  a  darker 
colored  race  than  the  preceding,  differs  from  it  in  no  essential 
particulars. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk 

(Buteo  Hneatus) 

Called  also:  HEN  HAWK;  CHICKEN  HAWK;  WINTER 
HAWK;  WINTER  FALCON;  RED-SHOULDERED  BUZ- 
ZARD. 

Length—  Male  18  to  20  inches;  female  20  to  22  inches. 

Male  and  JFetnale — Rich  dark  reddish  brown  above,  the  feathers 
more  or  less  edged  with  rufous,  buff  and  whitish;  lesser 
wing  coverts  rusty  red,  forming  a  conspicuous  patch  on 
shoulders;  four  outer  feathers  of  wings  notched  and  all 
barred  with  black  and  white;  tail  dark  with  white  bars; 
under  parts  rusty  or  buff,  the  throat  streaked  with  blackish, 
elsewhere  irregularly  barred  with  white;  feet  and  nostrils 
yellow.  Immature  birds  plain  dark  brown  above,  the  wing 
patch  sometimes  indicated,  sometimes  not;  head,  neck, 
and  under  parts  pale  buff,  fully  streaked  with  dark  brown; 
wing  and  tail  quills  crossed  with  many  light  and  dark  bars. 

Range — Eastern  North  America  from  Manitoba  and  Nova  Scotia 
to  the  Gulf  states  and  Mexico,  westward  to  Texas  and  the 
great  plains ;  nests  throughout  its  range. 

Season — Permanent  resident. 

To  shoot  this  commonest  of  the  hawks  has  long  been 
regarded  as  a  virtue  among  farmers  in  the  unfounded  belief  that 
it  is  an  enemy  to  their  prosperity ;  but  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture has  prepared  a  special  bulletin  on  the  hawks  and  owls  for 
their  enlightenment,  and  the  two  so-called  "hen  hawks"  have 
proved  to  be  among  the  most  valuable  allies  the  farmer  has.  Of 
two  hundred  and  twenty  stomachs  of  the  red-shouldered  hawk 
examined  by  Mr.  Fisher,  only  three  contained  remains  of  poul- 
try; one  hundred  and  two  contained  mice;  ninety-two  insects; 
forty,  moles  and  other  small  mammals;  thirty-nine,  batrachians; 
twenty,  reptiles;  sixteen,  spiders;  twelve,  birds;  seven,  craw- 
fish; three,  fish;  two,  offal;  one,  earthworms:  and  fourteen 

319 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

were  empty.  Let  the  guns  be  turned  toward  those  bloodthirsty, 
audacious  miscreants,  Cooper's,  the  sharp-shinned  hawk,  and 
the  goshawk,  and  away  from  the  red-tailed  and  red-shouldered 
species,  beneficent,  majestic  kings  of  the  air!  Longfellow,  in 
"The  Birds  of  Killingworth,"  among  the  "Tales  of  a  Wayside 
Inn,"  has  written  a  defence  of  the  hawks,  among  other  birds, 
that  the  Audubon  societies  might  well  use  as  a  tract. 

Sailing  in  wide  circles  overhead  like  the  larger  red-tail,  the 
red-shouldered  buzzard  is  a  picture  of  repose  in  motion.  Rising, 
falling  in  long  undulations,  floating,  balancing  in  a  strong  current 
of  the  cool  stratum  of  air  far  above  the  earth  all  this  hardy  tribe 
delight  in,  now  stationary  on  motionless  wings,  and  again  with 
a  superb  swoop  a  very  meteor  for  speed,  the  flight  of  this 
hawk  has  been  familiar  to  us  all  from  childhood,  yet  who  ever 
tires  watching  its  fascinating  grace  ?  Serenely  the  hawk  pursues 
its  way,  ignoring  the  impudence  of  the  small  kingbird  in  pursuit 
and  the  indignities  of  the  crow  that  may  not  reach  the  dizzy 
heights  toward  which  it  soars  in  wide  spirals.  While  the  mates 
are  nesting  from  April  to  August,  the  helpless  fledglings  give 
them  little  opportunity  to  enjoy  these  leisurely  sails;  but  toward 
the  end  of  August,  particularly  in  September,  and  throughout  the 
winter,  they  are  birds  of  freedom  indeed.  Keeyou,  keeyou,  they 
scream  as  they  sail — a  cry  the  blue  jay  out  of  pure  mischief  has 
learned  to  imitate  to  perfection.  It  is  the  red-tail,  however,  that 
screams  most  a-wing. 

"Toward  man  the  'hen  hawks'  are  naturally  shy,"  says 
Minot;  "but  it  is  generally  easy  to  approach  them  when  gorged, 
or  at  other  times  to  do  so  in  a  vehicle  or  on  horseback.  On 
a  horse  I  have  actually  passed  under  one.  They  frequently  leave 
their  food  when  approached,  instead  of  carrying  it  off  in  the 
manner  of  many  hawks.  Like  other  barbarians,  they  refuse  to 
show  signs  of  suffering,  or  to  allow  their  spirit  to  become 
subdued.  When  shot  and  mortally  wounded  they  usually  sail 
on  unconcernedly  while  their  strength  lasts,  until  obliged  to  fall. 
If  not  dead,  they  turn  upon  their  rump,  and  fight  till  the  last,  like 
others  of  their  tribe.  Their  eyes  gleam  savagely  and  they  defend 
themselves  with  both  bill  and  talons.  With  these  latter,  if 
incautiously  treated,  they  can  inflict  severe  wounds,  and  they 
sometimes  seize  a  stick  with  such  tenacity  that  I  have  seen  one 
carried  half  a  mile  through  his  persistent  grasp." 


RED-SHOULDERED  HAWK. 

%  Life-size. 


Kites,  Hawks,  EagJes,  etc. 

The  red-shouldered  hawk  spends  most  of  its  life  perching, 
usually  on  some  distended  dead  limb  where,  like  an  eagle  in 
its  dignity,  it  watches  for  mice  and  moles  to  creep  through  the 
meadow,  chipmunks  to  run  along  stone  walls,  gophers  and 
young  rabbits  to  play  about  the  edges  of  woods,  frogs,  snakes, 
etc.,  to  move  along  the  sluggish  streams  of  low  woodlands,  its 
favorite  hunting  grounds.  It  is  not  shy,  and  when  it  perches 
may  be  quite  closely  approached  and  watched  as  it  descends  like 
a  thunderbolt  to  strike  its  humble  quarry,  that  is  usually  borne 
aloft  to  be  devoured  piecemeal.  One  never  sees  this  hawk 
chasing  a  bird  through  the  air  as  the  tyrannical  Cooper's  hawk 
does.  In  nesting  habits  there  is  no  noteworthy  difference  from 
the  red-tails',  beyond  that  the  eggs  are  a  trifle  smaller. 

Swainson's  Hawk  or  Buzzard  (Buteo  Swainsoni),  an  infrequent 
visitor  east  of  the  Mississippi,  is  nevertheless  the  commonest  of 
all  its  tribe  in  some  sections  of  the  West.  In  the  many  phases  of 
plumage  shown  between  infancy  and  old  age,  this  large,  amiable 
fellow  may  always  be  distinguished  by  the  three  notched  outer 
primaries  of  his  wings  taken  in  connection  with  his  size,  about 
twenty  inches,  and  his  dusky  brown  upper  parts  more  or  less 
margined  with  rufous  or  buff;  the  unbarred  primaries  of  wings; 
his  grayish  tail  indistinctly  barred  with  blackish,  which  shows 
more  plainly  from  the  under  side;  the  large  rusty  patch  on  his 
breast,  and  by  the  white  or  buff  under  parts  that  are  streaked, 
spotted,  or  barred  with  blackish,  rusty,  or  buff.  Preeminently 
a  prairie  bird,  it  prefers  the  watercourses  of  lowlands  that  are 
scantily  timbered  and  the  cultivated  fields  for  hunting  grounds, 
since  mice,  gophers,  frogs,  grasshoppers,  crickets,  and  such  fare 
— rarely  if  ever  a  bird — are  what  it  is  ever  seeking.  Therefore 
from  the  most  selfish  of  economic  standpoints  it  should  enjoy  the 
fullest  protection.  Gentle,  unsuspicious,  living  on  excellent 
terms  with  its  humblest  feathered  neighbor,  mated  for  life  to  its 
larger  spouse,  and  an  unselfish,  devoted  parent,  Swainson's 
hawk  has  more  than  the  average  number  of  virtues  to  commend 
it  to  mankind. 


322 


Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Broad-winged  Hawk 

(Buteo  latissimus) 

Length — Male  14  inches;  female  16  inches. 

Male  and  Female — Upper  parts  dusky  grayish  brown  more  or  less 
bordered  with  rusty  and  buff;  blackish  tail  with  two  bars 
and  the  tip  grayish  white;  three  outer  primaries  of  wings 
notched;  under  parts  heavily  barred  with  white  or  buff 
and  dull  chestnut  brown,  the  dark  in  excess  on  the  front 
parts,  the  white  predominant  underneath;  most  of  the  feath- 
ers black  shafted,  giving  the  effect  of  pencilling,  particularly 
on  white  throat;  wing  linings  white  with  some  reddish  or 
blackish  spotting. 

Range — Eastern  North  America  from  New  Brunswick  and  the 
Saskatchewan  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  northern  South  America 
and  the  West  Indies;  nests  throughout  its  United  States 
range. 

Season — Summer  resident.     May  to  October. 

This  is  the  hawk  of  the  Adirondacks  among  other  favorite 
resorts,  and  since  it  comes  north  chiefly  to  nest,  no  place  is  too 
inaccessible  for  it  to  seek  out,  no  retreat  too  lonely  for  these 
devoted  mates,  that  ever  delight  most  of  all  in  each  other's 
company.  While  its  range  is  wide,  it  is  locally  common  in  a  few 
places  and  rare  in  others,  a  lover  of  wild,  unvisited  regions  while 
it  has  serious  concerns  to  attend  to,  and  only  during  the  spring 
and  autumn  migrations,  therefore  is  it  much  in  evidence ;  but  no- 
where and  at  no  time  so  common  about  farms  and  the  habita- 
tions of  men  as  the  red-tailed  and  the  red-shouldered  "chicken 
hawks"  that,  on  the  contrary,  have  nothing  to  do  with  mountain 
fastnesses. 

Yet  the  broad-winged  species  is  perhaps  the  least  suspicious 
and  approachable  hawk  we  have;  gentle  and  never  offering  to 
strike  at  an  intruder  no  matter  in  what  distress  of  mind  concern- 
ing its  nest;  inoffensive  to  its  smallest  feathered  neighbor; 
lacking  in  the  spirit  and  dash  of  a  Cooper's  hawk,  and  also  in 
that  murderer's  bloodthirstiness;  and  quiet  except  just  near  its 
home.  There  one  sometimes  hears  the  chee-e-e-e  of  one  mate 
sitting  on  some  distended  dead  limb,  answered  by  the  other  lover 
for  hours  at  a  time  during  the  nesting  season.  Like  most  of  its 
tribe,  both  mates  construct  a  bulky  nest  of  twigs  high  in  some  tree 
close  to  the  trunk,  and,  if  necessary,  will  repair  an  old  nest  from 

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Kites,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

year  to  year  rather  than  leave  a  beloved  home.  From  two  to 
four  dull  or  buff  white  eggs  spotted,  blotched,  or  washed  with 
yellow  or  cinnamon  brown,  keep  both  parents  closely  confined 
by  turns  during  the  four  weeks  of  early  summer  that  must  elapse 
before  the  downy  helpless  fledglings  begin  to  clamor  for  grass- 
hoppers, beetles,  crickets,  mice,  gophers,  squirrels,  shrews, 
small  snakes  and  frogs  (very  rarely  small  birds),  that  must  be 
consumed  in  large  quantities  judging  from  the  quantity  of  pellets 
of  hair  and  other  indigestible  material  found  below  the  cradle. 
The  farmer  has  every  reason  to  protect  so  valuable  an  ally. 

Although  it  appears  sluggish,  and  even  stupid,  when  perch- 
ing after  a  gorge,  the  broad-winged  hawk  naturally  would  be  a 
graceful,  easy  flyer.  Gliding  through  the  air  in  spirals  so  high 
that  one  sometimes  loses  sight  of  its  heavy,  broad  body,  it  has 
been  seen  swooping  suddenly  to  earth,  like  a  meteor;  then  catch- 
ing itself  before  dashing  its  body  to  pieces  on  the  mountain  side, 
it  will  fly  off,  with  short,  rapid  strokes,  at  high  speed. 

The  Rough-legged  Hawk  (Arcbibuteo  lagopus  sancti-johan- 
nis) — the  hare-footed  hawk  of  St.  John,  New  Brunswick — is 
almost  too  variable  in  plumage  to  be  briefly  described,  but  whether 
in  its  dark,  almost  blackish,  phase,  when  it  is  known  as  the  black 
hawk;  or  in  the  light  phase,  when  its  dusky  upper  parts  are 
mixed  with  much  white  and  buff,  and  its  whitish  under  parts 
are  streaked  and  spotted  with  black  to  form  a  band  across  the 
lower  chest,  it  may  always  be  known  by  its  fully  feathered  legs. 
In  the  United  States  it  is  chiefly  a  spring  and  autumn  migrant, 
or  a  winter  visitor,  for  it  goes  to  the  fur  countries  to  nest.  The 
material  for  a  cradle,  usually  placed  on  a  cliff,  would  fill  a 
wheelbarrow.  Its  range  is  over  the  whole  United  States,  Alaska, 
and  the  British  possessions.  One  occasionally  meets  this  large, 
heavy  prowler  at  the  dusk  of  evening,  when  mice  and  the  other 
small  rodents,  crickets  and  such  humble  quarry  creep  timidly 
forth,  flying  with  noiseless,  measured,  owl-like  pace,  quite  low 
along  the  ground,  like  the  harrier,  and  ready  to  pounce  upon  a 
victim.  Or  again,  it  may  be  sitting  on  a  low  branch,  sluggishly 
waiting  for  its  prey  to  come  within  striking  distance.  Its  choice 
of  food  is  calculated  to  win  for  the  hawk  the  friendship  of  the 
intelligent  farmer. 

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